When Winter Fell
by The Ardent Ginge
Summary: A strange girl wakes up in the middle of a forest with no memory of who she is. Suddenly, she gets drugged and kidnapped by HYDRA after a fail attempt on finding civilization. Waking up in a small cell, she realizes she had become part of an experimentation of Strucker's in Sokovia. When she finds out that she wasn't alone, what would she do? Pietro/OC
1. Out of the Woods

A/N: So, this is my first fan fiction I ever really published. I'm kind of nervous on what you guys think, but it's safe to say that I am open to any opinion you guys have to say. If I have wrong grammar, please do not hesitate on telling me. I am very new to this and English is not my first language, so enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC.

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CHAPTER ONE

The forest was quiet and covered in snow. It was around winter at this time of the year. A woman opened her eyes to see herself, lying on the snowy ground. Gingerly, she sat up, looking around her surroundings. Her red hair swishing left to right.

Where was she?

She couldn't contemplate why she only felt curiosity than panic over a situation much like this, but she couldn't help it. One thing was clear though, she was tired and hungry to say that least. She walked on the snowy terrain, only realizing now of what she wore. It was a long sleeved and plain silk silver dress that was until her toes. She lifted the skirt of her dress to find that she was without shoes. She started stepping on the earthy floor. It was cold as expected from snow, but the softness of it gladdened her heart. The feeling was like she discovered something new. Her attention towards the ground was soon caught by her dress yet again.

The redheaded woman eyed the fabric of the dress curiously as she swishes the skirt of her dress around. It looked as though it was made out of liquid, so fluid and soft. She wondered how she came by this, and where she was in the first place.

Moving around the area again, she aimlessly around the forest yet again. She passed by a few animals along the way, just squirrels and occasionally a rabbit. It was peaceful out here in the forest with a few birds chirping its winter song. For reasons only known to her, she danced around a bit. Humming a joyful tune and twirling a few times. She may not remember who she was, but she does remember some things.

30 minutes had gone by and civilization was still nowhere to be seen or found. The redheaded woman was still aimlessly wandering the woods with not a care in world if the ground was too cold and earthy. She touched the barks of the trees, feeling the roughness of their barks on her fingertips. The hails falling down didn't frighten her, but filled her with curiosity of that of a child.

Where was she?

Who was she?

She began to wonder. She did not remember what her name was or where she came from. She did not even remember what she looked like. What she only knew was that she had pale ivory skin with these faint brown freckles on her arms, she was slender and fit, and wavy red hair that was past her shoulders. She found herself wondering what colour her eyes were, what shape her face was, and if she had eyebrows.

The third thought made her reach up and find her eyebrows, fortunately they were there but she couldn't tell if they were thick or thin. She continued to touch her face, feeling the features delicately. She had high cheeks from what she could feel, and medium lashes too. Her musings came short when not far but a mile ahead was some sort of building up ahead. Joy and relief subdued her as she ran towards them with her arms waving about, she shouted at them.

"Help me! Help me please!" she shouted at them.

The woman didn't have time to marvel at the sound of her voice, her only goal now was getting into safety. Soon, she got the attention of some of them. There was something odd about them, something weird. Suddenly, they were shouting and guards came out of the entrance with guns with them. It was only then that she knew it was a mistake.

Before she could run away, something pierced her neck. She let out a gasp of pain as she touched her neck and plucked out a tranquilizer. She dropped it, suddenly feeling drowsy. The guards were approaching her, but with all of her might left she ran back into the forest.

Each passing minute was making her movements sloppy, she continued running until another tranquilizer was struck behind her back and she knelt down with a gasp of pain. The world was spinning out of control and yet she willed herself to go on. She stood up still walking through the forest until a hand grabbed her arm and she was pulled back. She stumbled into the stranger's arms as the world slowly dimmed.

"Who is it Herr Strucker?" a voice asked curiously as a dark figure rushed over her.

"Doctor List, I think we might have a new patient."

With those words, she blacked out.

* * *

Doctor List looked at the girl they had picked up in the forest. She slept peacefully in one of the guard's arms as he carried her back to their base. There were many questions going into his mind.

Who was she?

Where did she come from?

Why was she so near their base?

Initially he was curious, but also happy with the new addition to their experiment. Over a week ago they had went to a riot and asked for volunteers and the day after that they have had plenty of guinea pigs, but unfortunately for them at least half of the volunteers had already died due to the experiments because their bodies were not strong enough. So far they were still a fair amount of volunteers left alive maybe they still had a chance.

The doctor looked at the girl again and wondered if she could survive it, hopefully she does and maybe she would be a great asset in their mission.

The guards took her deep within the base, and into the holding cells were the other volunteers were being held at. They opened one vacant cell and placed the sleeping girl on the bed.

"I want the experiment conducted tomorrow immediately." Strucker had said to Dr. List as they closed the cell and walked along the dark corridor.

"Are you sure to begin so soon?" the doctor had asked.

Strucker stood in front of Dr. List with much authority he could muster and said, "Did I not make it clear?"

Dr. List nodded and watched as Strucker strode away, clear on the intent of finding out the identity of the girl. He ushered off to his lab to prepare the tools he would need tomorrow. It was definitely going to be a very long night.

* * *

A groan escaped her lips as she sat up her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she opened them to see yellow brick walls. At first she thought she was mistaken, but no she wasn't.

Where was she?

This had been the third time she asked herself. It was slowly getting annoying with her cluelessness, but that didn't matter right now. She was on a cot with a grey blanket covering her body. She was in a small room or rather a cell. One wall was a mirror, showing her actual appearance. She jumped off her bed, noticing that they had given her a pair of grey flats. She was still wearing the grey dress from earlier with made her glad since she really liked it. Turning her attention back to the mirror, she stopped a few inches from it and stared at the woman looking back at her. It was only now that she got to see her appearance and it shocked her. Indeed her hair was red and wavy hair. It was past her shoulders, ending with a twirl or a curl.

Her skin was indeed pale but creamy with brown freckles on her arms. Her face had a slight softness to it, her features had slightly sharp and particularly angular. Her pale cheeks had a rosy tint, but what struck her most were her eyes. She had clear turquoise eyes with specks of golden spiraling around her pupils, framed with medium length dark lashes. The colours seem to dance within her eyes like stars were casted upon them. Now, that she knew what she looked like and how she sounds like, she wondered what her name was or even where she came from. She looked at the other side to see a sort of caged door with a translucent glass.

She tried to peer through, but couldn't. She stood up and headed towards the yellow brick wall.

Was there are a room on the other side?

With curiosity etched on her face, she knocked on the cement. There wasn't an answer. She knocked on the other side, and no one knocked back. Maybe the walls were really thick that they couldn't hear her knocking.

Hours and hours had passed by and then the door finally opened. Four guards accompanied a man with some sort of briefcase as he stepped into her cell.

"Hello, I am Doctor List." he greeted with a smile.

The woman stayed still on her bed as Dr. List approached her and laid the briefcase beside her. Her body tensed up and fear came to her, but she remained her calm façade.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to take your vitals." He said, pulling out a sphygmomanometer.

Out of instinct, she lifted her sleeve on her right arm up.

"Tell me if I hurt you," Dr. List said, wrapping a cuff around her arm.

She nods. He checked her blood pressure by blowing up the cuff and watching a gauge.

"Now, tell my dear, what is your name?" Dr. List asked her.

"Aerith Anastasia Jude." She quickly answered; soon she realized what she had said.

Quickly, she covered her mouth with her free hand, shocked to hear those names escaping her lips. She didn't know why she said that.

Couldn't it be that it was her real name? Or was it just a trick of the mind?

The cuff deflates and he plugged her results into his tablet, which looks more like a sheet of glass than an iPad.

"Well, Miss Jude, you are in good health." Dr. List had informed her, removing the cuff and packed up her things. "I see you tomorrow again."

With that, he left the room with the door shut behind him. Aerith lay back on her cot, pulling the blanket close to her.

What was going to happen tomorrow?

What was happening to her?

Fear had gnawed her for the coming day, but she decided to think on the more positive side of the day. At least, now she knew what her name was, but her identity was still a mystery, a mystery with a name. The redhead stared blankly on the ceiling, humming a soft tune until she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Please review! Thank you.


	2. Sleeping Beauty in the Void

A/N: Thank you for all those who read, followed, and favorited my story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Specially thanks to **KawaiiBunnyKate ** for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC.

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CHAPTER TWO

Aerith woke up with a jolt, releasing a terrified scream. Her hand was clutching her chest as she breathed in and out shakily. It was just a dream, just a horrible dream—wait…what was she dreaming about?

She remembered falling asleep then she blacked out, she didn't remember anything about her dream. Aerith wasn't even sure that she wanted to. Whatever the dream may be, it would be something troubling as it would seem. To be honest, it sent shivers down her spine every time she thinks of the events that had transpired in the last 24 hours.

Hastily, she shook her head, not even daring to wonder of such things as of yet. Gathering her wits, she closed her eyes and sat in silence, listening only to the sound of her breathing.

Opening her eyes once more she looked around the room to see she was still in her cell. It was dimly lighted with the only source of light coming from the glass door. She eyes turned back to the cemented wall across her.

Was there someone on the other side?

She hoped so. The thought made her feel less lonely than she would like. Aerith stared at which seemed like centuries until she heard the door opened again.

There were about three guards appeared behind a man dressed in black. She swore had seen him before, but couldn't remember where.

Jesus Christ! If she can't even remember who she was in the first place, you can't expect her to remember where she met the man.

The said man was tall with a clean shaved head. He had prominent features, but what really got her attention was the extensive scar on his face. Aerith couldn't imagine the pain he felt when he was cut, it certainly looked really painful. Amongst her observation, the intimidating authority of the man was cut short in her thoughts when she saw that he wore a monocle over his right eye. It made her want to smile a bit for reason yet to be known.

Aerith could feel his scrutinizing stare as he remained in his place for a couple seconds until ordering the guards with two blunt words,

"Take her."

The guards converged towards her as they roughly grabbed her arms and pushing her outside. Aerith was certainly annoyed by the way they were treating her, but it couldn't be helped. They walked through dark corridors of some sort of old building.

Minutes seem to have gone by until they reached a turn and at the end was a white sort of metallic double doors. They were the doors you would expect to find in the hospital that lead to the ER room. The thought made Aerith gulped in nervousness and –of course- fear. Especially the thought of how she knew what the doors to the ER room looks like.

Had she been in a hospital before? Or maybe it's was the TV with their constant medical dramas?

She may not know everything, but she does know some things.

They entered the room beyond the double doors to find some sort of laboratory. Now, this is the part where she definitely knows she entered some deep shit. She was dragged by the guards and strapped her down on a hardly comfortable hospital bed. The florescent light made her uncomfortable as it was just above her. Though, her eyes stayed with Dr. List as he prepped up some things. Probably, the tools he was going to use on her.

Exactly, what are they going to do her?

Were they going to take her organs?

That's it! Are they illegal organ traffickers?

Her body tensed up at the thought. What if they were? She controlled her shaky breaths and fast beating heart. She thought of happy thoughts that were ruined by many sadistic and cynical thoughts and propositions. Now, she was really, really panicking.

Aerith was so lost in her state of panic with the many possible things they could be and what they were going to do with her, she didn't notice the guards strapping her to the bed as necessary precautions. She only noticed it when she felt the straps around her were so tight she had lost feeling in her hands.

Dr. List walked over to her bed.

"What are you going to do me with?" she found herself asking him shakily.

He clipped the tourniquet around her upper arm and started pressing gently in the crook of her elbow with his fingers.

"I'm just going to get a blood sample." He simply answered her. "After that I need you to sedate you for the few other basic medical tests."

Once he had found a vein, he loosened the tourniquet, stepped away from Aerith's side and collected several packets from a locked drawer. He placed them down on the table next to the bed and began to open them. Her heart rate began to steadily climb once more as he opened the sterile packaging containing the needle.

"Why would you need to sedate me?" Aerith asked steadily this time, eying the big needle.

"Mr. Strucker and I thought it might be best precaution." Dr. List said.

Aerith just stared at the huge needle in the doctor's hand. She bit his lip as it had begun to tremble slightly as the doctor snapped the glove on. She winced as he ripped open an alcohol swab and wiped the crook of her elbow. He tossed the used swab in the bin and picked up the needle.

Dr. List retightened the tourniquet and picked the dreaded butterfly needle up. She felt the cold, hollow tip puncture her skin and slip neatly into the vein. Aerith opted to close her eyes when that happened. A second later she heard a quiet click as Dr. List pushed the vial into the adapter attached to the butterfly needle. Instantly in the darkness of her mind, she felt her blood begin to flow through the plastic tubing into the vial. The ominous sound of her blood spurting into the vial reached her ears. Aerith could feel the blood spurting from her vein and into the vial in perfect synchronisation with her rapid heartbeat.

This made her feel like she puked a little bit in her mouth, but fortunately she didn't.

Eventually, she felt the needle was gone and Dr. was holding a cotton ball over the puncture site and applied pressure over it. Once the bleeding stopped, he put a small, round plaster over the puncture site.

Before she could ever open her eyes again, she felt the tip of another needle inserted this time on a vein on her neck. Soon, she felt drowsy and then she blacked out again.

* * *

Aerith woke up on the cot again with her grey blanket covering her...again. Though, this time she felt like she had a run-in with a wood-chipper. Everything ached feeling like her bones were replaced by a heavy metallic substance. Slowly, the redhead sat up cautiously with a groan or two.

For once in the remainder of the life she remembered that was only 28 hours, she was happy to be back in her cell. Still in imprisonment, but back at the short-lived safety of her semi-comfortable bed.

But as said before it was short-lived…

Aerith just rolled her eyes and exasperatingly plopped down on her cot with a flourish of wavy, covering her face. Dr. List came in her room again to witness her do the action with her adding a slight groan of frustration.

Dr. List ignored it, but raised a slight brow before going back to the matter at hand.

"Congratulations, Miss Jude. You are in perfect health. You are ready for Phase One which shall begin in a moment's notice." He said.

Aerith groaned. When she said short-lived she didn't mean it as this short.

"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" the redhead asked him, hoping to persuade him.

It didn't seem to work, and that annoyed her so.

"Miss Jude, you have already delayed it further than you should." He informed her calmly.

"How long have I delayed?" Aerith asked. Great! Another thing she so happened to have forgotten.

"3 days."

She was asleep for 3 days! Bloody hell, what did they do to her?

Aerith didn't even try to mask her surprise especially when she saw her reflection on the mirrored wall. She took in her bedraggled appearance and understood that he was telling the truth.

Without as much further as another word was spoken, Aerith was dragged from her cot and dragged away yet again.

The redhead tried to protest, but was there really any use?

They walked through the dark hallways again. She knew by the corridor they were taking that they were going back to that laboratory. Once they entered it again, she noticed the room to be different. Gone was the hospital bed, but replaced by a very uncomfortable metal slab with straps.

Now, she was really sure they were definitely organ traffickers?

The place was occupied with at least 5 men with lab coats, so they're not doctors then, probably, scientists. The guards that accompanied Dr. List lifted her off her feet. She struggled for a moment as they strapped her to cold slab.

Aerith heard a door opened and there emerged Strucker in his cold glory.

"Are we ready to begin, Dr. List?" he asked smugly.

"I do believe so," Dr. List answered as he and a few other scientists were helping him place electrodes on her forehead, her arms and wrists, her stomach, legs, and feet.

The wires were almost everywhere, but was only connected into one source. It lead to a somewhat glass box that stored quite an extraordinary thing. It was a long, golden stick with a brightly shinning blue stone at its tip. It was –to put it in simpler words- a sceptre.

Definitely not organ traffickers, and there are scientists. Damn! She was their human guinea pig. Mentally, she cursed herself for being so blind and oblivious to this.

Amongst her rapid mental spars with herself, she felt lightning coursed through Aerith's limbs without as much as a warning. She stiffened, felt all her muscles tighten and threaten to tear. She forced herself not to scream as her entire body was set on fire, but she did gasp. She felt like she was suffocating, but she managed to ask Dr. List angrily,

"What was that for?"

"The first round of exposure." He answered quite plainly yet smug.

"Wha—"

Before she knew it, Aerith was struck by a blue glowing energy. Her body was suddenly engulfed in pain; a type of indescribable pain which she had never experienced before. She bottled up all her scream of agony inside her, internally breaking down as it grew stronger. She had no control over her body whatsoever as it began having violent seizures.

What really annoyed her was that after that happened, he heard Dr. List say smugly, "Now, that was first burst of energy from the Sceptre."

Aerith really wanted to claw his face off right now, but her body could cooperate. When pain keep getting stronger and stronger it was getting really hard controlling her screams until she finally lashed out. Aerith scream as the pain erupted through her in a needlessly fast pace throughout her whole body.

From the corner of her eye, Aerith could see Strucker and his men begin to exit the room. She tried to yell at them for help, for someone to stop this torture, but she couldn't form any words to get passed her screams of pain. The door closed firmly behind them and so did Aerith's eyes as she drifted off unconsciousness.

* * *

There was silence, just absolute silence. The darkness was around her, covering her in a warm embrace.

Who knew death could be so sweet?

Suddenly, there was a surge of light and she forced her eyes to blink open to harsh light, and she squinted. Damn, she passed out again. This was like at least the fourth time she did.

There was a sharp sensation on her right arm. She looked down at her arm despite the heaviness of her head. An IV drip was there, one of the sources of her irritation. Without much of a thought, she ripped it from her skin with a wince. She was really starting to hate needle.

The movement reminded her of the pain. Aerith coughed as she felt her mouth as dry as the Sahara desert. She didn't want to move, but she had too for her to be able to feel comfortable. Aerith sat up, ignoring the wincing pain of her body all over her. She looked down herself to see that she still had the silver dress on. Seriously, how did this dress survive all that?

Her door opened, and Dr. List stepped inside with a plate of food and a jug of clear water. How _nice_ of him.

"I must say I'm impressed. You've made it through the Phase One with flying colours," he said. "Here."

 _Flying colours my ass!_

He didn't even have an idea of the torture she went through. Aerith grabbed the jug of water, not caring if it's laced with poison or drugs. She eagerly drank the water until it was already half-finished. Afterwards, she started eating the food he had given her with much vigorous desire.

"How long was asleep this time?" she asked with her mouthful of food. She coughed as she started to choke and so she got the water jug and drank.

"A week." He plainly answered.

Aerith spat out the water that was in her mouth in shock. She coughed and wiped her mouth went it happened. The water spilled just a few inches near Dr. List although if she was doing it intentionally she would have purposely spat on his face, but at least some drops got to his tie.

Getting a white handkerchief, he wiped his tie clean with a stoic façade. The redhead knew he was not amused, but Aerith was although she hid it in an apologetic façade of her own.

"Very well, we'll give you a week or so to rest, and then we shall continue to Phase -Two. The next stage –I must warn you—is much more intense." Dr. List picked up the tray and walked out the door. It latched behind him almost automatically.

As soon as he'd left, Aerith's arms began shaking and she lay down her cot again. The ordeal had taken much more out of her than she lets on. The idea of going through it again terrified her to death. She does not want to go through it yet she has no choice lest she found a way out which was indeed not true.

Aerith found that she was unable to stand for the next day. Once she could, it was unbearably slow like a snail or a turtle. Slowly, she eased herself back into normality. She lost track of the days, unable to see the sunrise.

Four guards always came to give her food at regular intervals and took the tray once she'd finished, ensuring she'd have no way to escape. It was like any other prison. It may not have parole or homicidal rapists, but composed of what she knows now as HYDRA agents, whatever that was.

After more than a week of this tedium, the guards came to take her back to the lab, more like forced if you ask her. She held her head high as they marched down to the lab once more. Suddenly, another group of guards came out accompanying what seems to be another patient. Hope and shock fluttered through her in the revelation of one such fact. From what she could see, the patient was a man, muscular and tall from what she can see with brown hair.

Soon they paths drew closer and eyes met each other's. She could tell by the look of recognition the man given her that she was the first person he had seen in only God knows how many weeks, days, or months. Electric blue met her turquoise eyes and soon the connection had broken as they separated.

Aerith could not deny ascertained warmth had procured her when she locked eyes with him, but the look he gave her worried her. How long had he been here?

Is he the only one left?

Hopefully, he was not. The planned routine in her head played out as she stayed uncannily silent as they strapped her in. Dr. List came over and smoothed her hair back from her head. It made her cringe, and feel a bit sick.

"Don't worry, Aerith," he said, and her jaw tightened at the use of her first name and on how he said it, "it's going to hurt more this time, but if you survive this, we might start seeing results within a week or so."

Aerith really, really hated him now. He shoved a tough leather strap between her teeth and placed an IV drip into her wrist. She followed the clear plastic tube to a solution, having the same eerie blue as the gem in the centre of the Sceptre. Aerith was contemplating whether or not to ask what it was going to do to her, but she rather let it slide.

Dr. List looked at her apologetically before turning a handle on the side of the bottle holding the blue liquid. It began flowing down the IV drip. Aerith closed her eyes as she felt it inched closer and closer before it hit the needle. She felt nothing at first, expecting a fiery inferno and when she was relieved, what seemed like fire ants began crawling under her skin, down her fingertips and up her arm.

The burning started off slow, and then doubled, tripled, getting stringer and stronger. It crept up to her face, down her legs, and she bit down on the leather in her mouth so hard she tasted it throughout her mouth along with the thick sensation of blood bubbling from her throat, she didn't care if she just bit her lip. She screamed as fire consumed her mind and her body, unable to shut it out or even to fall unconscious. She screamed until she lost her voice and still the unbearable burning continued.

Slowly, it began to diminish slowly until it was completely gone or rather absorbed, but her cells. Suddenly, she felt like she was being torn apart, piece by piece. She screamed yet again, as she felt her muscle twist and ache in great quantities of pain. Her mind felt like it was being prodded into pieces by something, and she felt like she was being whipped to shreds. Another scream fell from her lips as she began to feel an acidic pain in her stomach and in her veins as if it was riddled with poison. Then, the fiery inferno came back with a bang. And at last it finally did fade.

Aerith breathed heavily as tears rolled down her eyes. She couldn't control it anymore, the pain that enveloped her and should have led to death's sweet embrace, but yet they did not give her the luxury of peace.

The redhead left as though she was being carrying though her vision was blurry and dim. She felt the fabric of her cot as she was roughly laid to rest covered by her blanket. Despite the pain and misery she felt, there was something new inside her, bubbling through her veins. She couldn't yet describe it or otherwise identify it, but for now she was just fragile human wreckage.

* * *

 _Please review! Thank you so much._


	3. The Scientific Progress

A/N: Okay, I brought this to a lot of thought and I think it's okay. I'm quite not sure, but I'm giving it a risk. Let me know if it's okay through a review, please.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC.

* * *

Progress is nothing without a struggle. And they were progressing indeed.

It had been days since the last phase and so far the Maximoff twins had developed their powers already, the older twin having superhuman speed faster than the speed of sound, and the other having the ability of engaging in hypnosis and telekinesis; this delighted both Doctor List and Strucker. They survived the sickness that normally happens after the last stage which mostly kills off their patients.

Now that the Maximoff twins were well, they only have to wait for the last one.

Their newest addition was still going through the sickness. The said new addition attracted all kinds of curiosity in Strucker as well as Dr. List. Strucker had instructed Agent Basso to find more information about her, but it was all for naught. They only knew that she was born in Heidelberg, Germany, but she was raised in England. She studied there until she was 12, then suddenly she disappeared. This had made Strucker frustrated and all the more curious of her.

They were in a large lab which was filled with scientists scurrying around. Inside was the large glowing sceptre that they used on them. Dr. List stood behind the one-sided glass and watched as she tries to defeat the sickness. She was shivering and sweating a large amount of sweat. That's what happens when you go through the sickness. The patient would have to experience a crucial amount of pain; they would feel as though the room was colder than the harshest of winters but hotter than the surface of the sun. They would have to undergo pain unimaginable in the head like there was a fracture in the skull. Nausea, fever, muscle pain, migraines, and a lot more.

This was a sickness they could not help her with. No bottle of medicine, vaccines, or tablets could bring her relief. She was to conquer it herself.

Concerning the new patient, Dr. List had discovered something interesting about her, something he didn't yet share with Strucker. Despite her obvious agony, it seemed she was only feeling half of the full effects of the sickness. It had seemed to Dr. List that she was already developing her powers even before the sickness was done.

This was still a questionable thing to say since maybe she was already developing the powers, or she just had a really strong immune system. Either way it was a remarkable discovery. A discovery he deemed better if it was unspoken to anyone else.

At the corner of his eyes was Strucker, watching the twins in dire interest. There, caged in front of him, were the subjects: Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. They were separated, dressed in grey clothes, and held in two glass rooms like Miss Jude's. The older Maximoff was running around the room hysterically hitting the walls. It seemed like he was going out of control. It was interesting indeed when his once brown hair was now tinted with silver. The female one, on the other hand, looked exactly the same except for her glowing red eyes that appears every time she would use her powers. She looked frightened, but yet was somehow levitating wooden building blocks that were surrounded by a scarlet glow. The Maximoff twins were only a few cells away from Miss Jude's. Soon maybe he would transfer her to the now vacant cell besides them for more ease in observation.

Progress is indeed not possible with change. And it made him wonder what change would happen to the young redhead in front of him.

* * *

 _Aerith was kneeling down on a bed of lilies in an abandoned old church with a part of its roof had broken down. She knelt there silently with her hands clasped together like she was praying in front of a broken altar. She was looking down on the ground in silent reverence._

 _Where was she? What was she doing?_

 _Aerith couldn't help, but wonder. This made no sense to her since the last thing she remembered was being carried after another phase of experimental tortures. She remembered the pain and the sound of her own screaming. And even the taste of her own blood when she bit her lip. For whatever the reason she was kneeling down, she was glad she was away from them…for now._

 _She lifted her head up to the bare roof that showed the moving clouds._

 _The light blue color of the sky was hued with white fluffy clouds. It looked like a painting to her. And even more so when dusk begins and the night awakens with glittering stars from far away. She used to think the stars were a cold light: remote and far away, but no. They were memory: precious and pure like the innocent laughter of a child. They give light to see the way when all other lights go out. They are the sentinels of the night, silent and sure, bringing order and light._

 _Although this was so, night was not her favorite time of day. It was the dawn, the rising hope on the horizon of the sky. Aerith always loved to watch as the sun rises up, watching a new day commence._ _To her, dawn had meant that after what seems to have been a long and dark and endless night, it must all come to an end and from the darkness comes a bright new day._ _The symbolism of a new beginning and a new chapter seemed to have an effect on her. In truth, we are all stories in the end. And our story ends only in death and there begins a new one, one that would never be seen by the living until their time comes._

 _She stood up feeling the soft fabric of her white flowing linen dress. Her hair was in a twist braid with her bangs with curled ends. Aerith turned around, walking carefully not to step on the beautiful lilies surrounding her. Although, this seemed all too surreal, she knew exactly what it was, and what it wasn't._

 _This was just a dream._

 _The benches were overturned, broken, and covered with vines. The church was run down, abandoned for at least a few decades or so with some debris already covered in moss or vine._ _The rays of light burst through the jalousies, lightening the room quite nicely with different arrays of light. The exit was right up ahead with closed doors. She walked slowly through the aisle to the closed door, her heels clicking on the ground. She couldn't recall what the place was, but it made her feel as though she was safe amidst a strange place. That's was when she was sure this was just a dream; a dream her mind just conjured up to escape the cruel realism of reality._

 _A knock resounded on the door at the far end of the aisle. The knock repeated each step she took. She quickened her pace and heard the knocks match the speed. This brought delight to the ginger. And so, she tilted her head and danced on the way to the door, laughing and glowing with happiness. She hummed a harmonious tune. The ginger hadn't danced like this before in a long time, years in fact. She missed it dearly so especially when trapped in a small cell for what seems like weeks._

 _The knock ceased as she stood up again when she grabbed the handle of the door._ _She pressed an ear on the door to hear the whistling wind; carefully opened it to find the wide golden fields of wheat. The wind was gentle as it makes the train of her dress float like it was a cloud beneath her feet. The chirps of birds could be heard from the green woods that was a mile away. Aerith closed her eyes and breathed in the country air. With her eyes still close she glided down the stairs and through the golden fields._

 _Opening her eyes, she was met by a gentle breeze yet again. A smile graced her face and she spun around the fields. Unbeknownst to her, she spun and the wheat's barley turned to specks of golden light as it was being carried away spiraling above her head like a crown._

 _She stopped and she was met by the rain of golden light. Aerith laughed in delight. At the corner of her eye, she saw a yellow enchanting-looking tree not far from where she was. Slowly, she glided to it to find that it was a golden chain tree that swayed through the breeze. Aerith admired its stature with a dreamy sigh._

" _Can you play with me?" a childish voice asked behind her._

 _Aerith spun around at the sudden encroachment, with a hand on her chest. A little girl with bright blonde hair stood before her, looking at her with familiar azure eyes. The girl had pale white skin with a certain glow. A feeling inside Aerith told her she knew the girl, but nothing came into her head as if it was wiped off. Though, she dismissed it, focusing on the little girl in front of her. After all this was all just a dream._

 _Aerith smiled and nodded, "Yes, I would love to." She said._

 _The little girl grinned widely and said, "Try and catch me!" she ran off with a laugh._

 _With a laugh of her own, Aerith ran off and chased her playfully towards the green forest. The trees gave way as they chased each other, the forest reminded the redhead of something, but it was so vague like a hazy dream. For now, she focused on catching the girl._

" _You can't catch me!" the girl playfully taunted until suddenly from right in front of her eyes she stopped._

 _Aerith slowed down her pace. "Are you alright?" she asked with a smile still on her face._

 _Her question was left unanswered. Her smile faded as worry grew inside her as she approached the little girl more carefully._

" _Hello?" she asked and it was unanswered yet again._

 _She reached out a hand and touched her shoulder. The girl fell slumped on the ground, but good thing Aerith caught her. Mirajane sat on the ground with the little girl in her arms. The girl's eyes were wide open and blood dripped from her nose._

 _A gasp came out of Mirajane's mouth, and panic and fear took her._

 _What happened? How did this happen?_

 _Suddenly, the girl started to bleed more profusely. Red blood bled through the girl's shirt and Mirajane used the skirt of her dress to apply pressure on the wound, but it wouldn't stop. It kept bleeding and bleeding until there was no other thing to do. Blood was spewing out of the girl's mouth and eyes as it looked as though she cried it out._

 _The girl was dead._

 _Oddly enough, tears did not spill for the dead child, she simply closed her eyes. Aerith rose up and the skirt was now painted with red blood from the dead girl. A scream was heard from far off the road, and horror filled Aerith's heart. Aerith began running towards it before she could question it. She arrived on a glen to find remnants of a village. The houses were burnt to the ground. The grass that was once green had turned to a blacken ash state, and disembodied corpses littered the place either burnt or rotting. Blood painted the grass and the flowers, and shock and fear filled Aerith. She walked carefully looking around the surroundings in utter grief._

 _A hand grabbed her wrist and she screamed, but a hand covered her mouth. It was a young boy who couldn't be as old as her with pale blonde hair and dark brown eyes._

" _Come on! We need to get out of here." He said urgently as he whisked her off in the covering of the forest again._

 _The side of the forest they went through was sick beyond relief. Desolate with barren trees and dead plants. They ran and ran away from the scene with the hands entwined. The screams and angry shouts could be heard from the distance. A pungent smell roamed the area, and she knew all too well what it was. It was the smell of burnt corpses. They started running as the drums were getting louder and louder. They ran faster and faster, hearing the shouts and screams of the unfortunate souls. Suddenly, the boy let out go of her hand, letting her run on her own. That was when Aerith felt something wrong._

 _The stillness of the air suffocated her and it seemed forced, the silence was unnatural but she wasn't about to give up. She ran and ran until something snaked around her ankle and pulled her leg out from under her, letting her slam on the ground, my forearms taking the brunt of the impact._

 _Scraping sounds filled my ears as she looked to see hundreds of dead vines slithering towards her like serpents. One was still around her ankle, delaying her attempts to stand up and run. The boy with her shouted her name, approaching her with a knife on hand and started cutting the vine off, but it curled upwards towards Aerith's calf, tightening its grip and trying to ensnare her hands. Aerith could see the boy trying as hard as he can to cut them loose, but she could see the vines were creeping up to him._

" _Go." She said to him._

 _The boy looked at her as if she was crazy and started to protest, but Aerith cut him off saying as sternly as possible,_

" _Go."_

 _The boy took one last glance at her and took off. Aerith watched as he went away. She didn't even notice that the other vines reached her, all encircling and restraining her despite their efforts._

 _Some were as thick as her head and covered with long thorns which dug into her skin the tighter they held her. Blood was already pouring out from where the thorns had pierced her. There were other and were able to knot in my hair and set my fingers in odd angles. Aerith grabbed the boy's forgotten knife and got a good few hacks into the big ones but a vine wrapped around her wrist._

 _As her fingers numbed, her grip loosened and her knife dropped useless into the mass of undergrowth. There was no use fighting now, there was a risk inflicting more dangerous and severe wounds on her body. The vines wrapped around her chest piercing it tightly soon there was only prickles of blood coming open. The pain was half than it should be._

 _A crack a few meters in front of her opened up in with a deafening sound. The wind picked up suddenly; locks of her hair were blown out of her face and around making waves in the air. The piles of crisp leaves fled around the place. The vines were pulling her to the crack with much need to be force._

 _Aerith lifted her head up as much as she could, the vines gripping her hair down and holding her back. It was stretched back into a distance, appearing as if it went on forever. There a shadow appeared forming a shape of a man._

 _As if she was in a horror movie, the vines began to drag her towards the crack where the black figure stayed waiting. She refused to let him see her scream and shout. There was no use getting free from her bonds than risk further pain. She just screamed and shouted as the vines tightened all of a sudden, tainting them with her blood._ _She yelled and yelled, hoping someone would help her. There was an impending laugh masculine laugh from the figure as it taunted her. She got her hands free from the vines, grabbing onto the ground of dead grass. She uprooted some as she helpless dug her nails in the ground, hoping it would slow the process, but it was all for naught._

 _Her strength weakened and Aerith fell into an endless oblivion._

Aerith woke up on the floor with a scream. She trembled from her dream. This was the first dream she ever had that she remembered. She now understood why it was better for her to forget, but now it was imprinted in her mind for her to remember always.

Coming back to her senses, she was starved and dehydrated, but -as the upside- she stopped feeling like she was dying.

How long was she asleep this time?

Aerith rubbed her blurry eyes, but she felt something moving. Her body involuntarily froze as the movement continued around her. Her breaths became uneven and she felt shivers trail down her spine. Slowly, she removed her hands from her eyes, and in that moment she saw what it was. She was lying down on a bed of white flowers. Aerith felt her heartbeat faster.

Was she still in the dream?

There were vines wrapped right on top of her. Aerith was afraid that they would coil around her again and strangle her, but these were different. They were green and very much alive and without thorns, wrapping around her like a comfy blanket. Despite all these observations, it did not lessen her gradual fear. Not one bit.

Looking around the room, she only noticed now that the ground where she lay was filled with white flowers of what she remembers was called moonflowers. Vines were latched on the cement wall across her everywhere else except for the mirrored wall and the door. Catching the sight of flowers everywhere, she climbed up her bed again in quick haste. The vines were also entwined to the metal poles of the bed. She hid herself under the grey covers like some child afraid of something that was out to get her.

Yes, she was afraid, but no, she was not a child.

Although the fear of these things appearing in her room after a dream of evil vines was something she considers as a plausible excuse. Aerith clutched the blanket tightly as she watched a vine closer slither towards her. It was an –albeit- thin and small vine, but she rather not underestimate it. As it slowly raises up to her eye-level, she closed her eyes and waited for it to puncture her eyes or slither inside her body through her ears or nostrils, but it never came.

Aerith felt a small tinge of something connecting on her cheek. It was small, swift, and gentle like a soft caress on her cheek. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Surprise over took her as the vine wiped away tears she didn't know she shed. Some other vines entwined around her fingers, not in a hostile way, but it a gentle way as if it tried to give a caring squeeze. The ginger closely returned the favour, giving off a smile.

How was this possible?

The vines started wrapping around her creating this fingerless glove with buds sprouting beautiful purple petals. She giggled and felt something move on her head. Lifting her hand on her hair, she felt vine move in her hair. Aerith looked at the mirror and saw the vines had woven themselves into a circlet perched on her head. Not only that they had braided her hair in a twist. Slowly, the buds blossomed showing a hue of blue. This was when she really did laugh. All emotions of fear and anxiety left her and she remembers the dream no more, but as reality would have it, her delight was short-lived.

The door opened instantly and the vines had left her and all the grown plants in the room, leaving the room the way it was before: Lifeless and dull. Strucker came in. Following him inside was Doctor List and a few armed men. They blocked her exit and Strucker stood directly in front of her. Doctor List carefully wrote on his tablet observing the room around Aerith. The ginger sat straighter under the stare of Strucker. It unnerved her about the way he looked at her like she was some animal in a zoo.

"How are you feeling Miss Jude?" questioned Strucker with a grin.

Besides being parched and hungry, Aerith tried not meet his gaze. "I'm alright." She muttered clutching the blanket tightly around her.

"Good, good." he muttered. His grin then widened and his eyes held an unsettling glint as he asked, "So what can you do?"

"Excuse me?" she asked shakily. He seen it, he seen them all, but how?

There it hit her. The mirror wasn't just a mirror, it was a one-sided window. They had been watching her all this time. Other than being utterly feeling exposed and violated, she felt quite pissed for their lack of privacy and also for her obliviousness on not noticing sooner that the mirror was some one-sided window.

Exactly, how did it not seem suspicious to her about having some huge mirrored-wall?

Jesus Christ! She felt stupid.

What did she think it was?! Some bloody mirror they installed to see if she groomed herself properly? Or some mirror to see how many bloody weird faces she can make? Or is it a mirror for her to speak to herself like she was bloody Smeagol from Lord of the Rings?

Wait—who in bloody hell is Smeagol? And what in good heavens is Lord of the Rings?

She was confused to where these words came from. Somewhat a part of her was like slapping herself to death for not recognizing it, but she couldn't recall where she heard of it.

Removing herself from her thoughts, she turned her attention back to Strucker who looked more impatient now.

"What are your powers?" he elaborated in a snappish quiet voice.

"Are you feeling any differently?" he titled his head.

Aerith –in all honestly- didn't know what to say. So, she did what she can do she shook her head and acted clueless.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." She said as convincingly as possible with a tilt of her own head.

She saw Strucker's fists clenched and that's when he snapped, "Do not fool me girl!"

She winced at the volume of his voice, but stood her ground.

Strucker took a heavy breath and calm down to his stoic face. "Now Miss Jude, do not test my patience." he said calmly with a smile. "Now, show me what you can do."

Aerith lifted her hand up slowly and hesitantly. Opening her palm, a bright pink rose blossomed at the palm of her hand. Strucker looked undoubtedly displeased.

"Is there anything else you can do?" he asked, looking at the flower in disgust.

Maybe her newly achieved power was not the one he was looking for. Honestly, Aerith didn't know what other things she can do, she only knew now that she can grow flowers on the palm of her hand. It was weird and delightful, but Strucker didn't seem to share the sentiment. Casting a glance at Dr. List, he was writing vigorously on his tablet. It seemed her powers intrigued the scientist despise what his boss thinks of.

Strucker turned his back and walked over to Dr. List. Silently, they conversed and Aerith looked up to the guards blocking her exit. Aerith started to wonder what it would be like when she finally gets out of this room. She missed the snowy forest beyond this fortress. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Strcuker's voice.

"Such a waste…" Strucker said. "I need a more powerful power. Not blossoming flowers like this."

Doctor List looked at her and then back at Strucker, he clearly looked as if he would object, but he bit his tongue. "What should we do with her sir?"

"Dispose of her."

Aerith felt a rapid surge of adrenaline rush through her body and as if by instinct she jumped off the bed and missed the bullet. She felt her hand lift up and a thick and long vine rose from the wall behind the soldier that tried to shoot and grabbed him. It pulled him to the wall, cocooning him in a bundle of now thorny vines. The other guard tried to shoot her, but she swished her other hand and the guard was flung to the side by yet another thick vine. The vines wrapped around the two guards, keeping them in place, squeezing them tightly until they were unconscious. Their guns were being held by other vines far away from them so they could not get them.

There was an audible applause and Aerith was brought back to her senses. She dropped her hands and the vines crept back into the walls and the ground, releasing the guards and their weapons. Aerith clasped a hand on her mouth in shock. There was a sob, but she choked it down.

What had she done?

They all wore baffled expressions, except for Strucker who was very amused and pleased.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Strucker applauded with a pleased smile. Dr. List was still besides him, looking at the ginger in wonder.

"How did you do that?" Strucker asked enthusiastically.

"I-I-I don't know. It just happened." She blurted out, removing the hand from her hand. She looked the guards that she harmed, both looked seriously injured.

With a second thought, Aerith rushed towards the worst injured one among them and looked over his wounds. At the sight of the bloody scratches, she instinctually traced them. She knew Strucker was saying something to her, but she didn't bother to listen. Then it happened.

Her hand hovered over his torso and then a light blue and green light glowed out of her fingertips. There was a gasped but she ignored, only focusing on her patient. The light surrounded his body and the light slipped inside the wounds. Soon it became to close up. Lifting another hand towards the other injured man, the same thing happened to him. The light healed their wounds, leaving no trace of a scar.

Soon after it was all healed, the light disappeared from her fingertips and she looked at them curiously. Aerith didn't understand where she learnt to do what she did. It was all from instinct. It got her wondering, but there was another audible applause broke out from Strucker and both men she healed groaned back to consciousness.

Aerith looked at Strucker who was grinning at her deviously. Soon the two guards were being dragged out of her cell by two other guards.

"She's a healer and possible botanokinetic." Dr. List said, scribbling down the tablet.

"Possible?" Strucker turned to Dr. List. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that it is possible that her powers can evolve to something more."

"How?" Aerith asked in curiosity.

Both men looked at her when she spoke. "A kinetic ability over earth is highly extensive. It could evolve or it could just stay the way it was, but it is to early to tell of your true kinetic ability."

This brought delight and amusement for Strucker to know that their new patient can be more powerful.

* * *

After an hour of physical evaluation conducted by Dr. List she was led to a different hallway, a hallway she never seen before. This one was lined with small empty cells, each with a bed and a toilet. Aerith gulped thinking that people used to occupy these cells, but soon died after only God knows what. This was the hallways they used to observe on them and it chilled her to the bone to imagine them suffering. And all Dr. List and other had done was watch. It made her sick.

Soon, they arrived at a well-lighted laboratory. They paused at the third cell next to seemly occupied by others. This delighted Aerith to such an extent. She also started to wonder if the man she once saw was still alive. The thought made her gulp.

What if he didn't and he was dead?

Aerith stepped and tried to peek at the cell beside –presumably- hers. There she saw, a young man. He was standing on the centre of his small cell, his dark hair mixed with silver long and choppy. Bright blue eyes shone from his face. It was him. They man she met before. This brought a warm feeling to her chest to know he was alive. She let a smile grace her face, but as she continued to watch he saw him moved quickly in a blur. This made Aerith step back.

What was that?

She stepped forwards again, watching him move around his cell in a blur. So, that was his power. A red glow came out from the mirror at the corner of his eye. She looked at the cell next to his, and saw a young woman with brown hair. The woman bore resemblance to the man next door, maybe they were siblings. Aerith watched as she moved some objects around with a red aura surrounding her hands and the item. She watched as her eyes glowed red. Regardless of the amazement she felt, she saw the vulnerability and terrified expressions on the both of them.

"What have you done to them?" Aerith couldn't help but ask.

"The same thing we did to you." Strucker answered, smirking at the twins.

"We made them special."

Those words made her angry. To imagine them to suffer through the pain she had personally went through. The hell of it all! Before any reckless actions could be made a guard took her by the arm and guided her inside another glass room located next to the boy. It was a somewhat sterile empty grey room, the only thing inside was a bed. She stood in the centre looking around her new room.

"This is to be your home now. You will stay here as we monitor you and help you with your new abilities." Dr. List said to her, giving a smirk.

With that said, they exited the room, leaving her alone inside. Aerith knelt down the ground and sobbed into her palms. She didn't want this, but she didn't really have a choice. The memory of hurting those guards haunted her. It frightened her that she could do such a thing.

Amongst her regrets and sobbing, she realized she was also glad at the powers that were given to her. At least she was given a power that not only can destroy a life, but can also create a life and heal. The irony of it all seemed comical to her, but she did not laugh. Nothing can heal her as of now; even the happy revelation that she wasn't alone could not ease her heart for the better. She knew she wasn't alone, but why does she feel lonelier?

Aerith couldn't deny the selfishness in her heart of being glad that there was someone suffering with her. They shouldn't have had to go through all the pain. And yet she was delighted upon it. The feeling of someone suffering with you was unbearable and yet satisfying. This realization made her cries harder, lying down on the hard cold floor.

She was very selfish. She was a very selfish person.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading. I hope this chapter is alright._


	4. The Discovery Channel

It has been 2 months since the discovery of her powers and her immediate relocation. Aerith decided it was better to ignore the mirrored wall and the eyes behind it, so she can focus on exercising and training with her new powers, but in a sterile environment like hers it has been proven to be difficult. The past two months were troublesome with Dr. List, Strucker, and many other scientists that came to study her powers, and they still continue to do so.

Dr. List would come in every twice in a week to monitor her progression and health. Checking her vitals once more, Dr. List concluded that she was in good shape but sleep was recommended for the overall "medical examination" about her powers scheduled tomorrow. Aerith didn't dare think what they were going to do with her. Probably to see what made her tick.

What exactly would it involve doing?

She had a sneaking feeling that they would dissect her like some 5th Grade Biology lab experiment. Aerith was the unfortunate frog pinned to a metal tray and Dr. List and the others were the 5th Grade students with forceps and knives, ready to see what was beneath her skin. This little thought had rather amused the ginger, imagining them all as small young kids despite that they were naughty psychopathic kids. The scene in her head was like it was straight out of Horror movie. Yet she continued to imagine them all as cute cartoon kids.

What did Dr. Wang call it?

Aerith pondered at what the word was. Dr. David Wang, who was a quiet man in his mid-30s, recognizable with his dark curls sticking out everywhere, unkempt and tangled; his round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose on the brink of falling off. He was a short man from the standards of others since he was roughly the same height as her. Dr. Wang was a solitary fellow from what Aerith had learned about him. Maybe even kind and a bit shy.

The ginger knew she shouldn't be befriending anyone that was working for HYDRA, so far she thought there was no harm in being acquaintances with Dr. Wang. It wasn't like she was hiding anything of importance, so why not take a risk?

Dr. Wang was instructed to re-educate her about the world. Apparently, she still retained the memory of the main subjects like Math, Science, History, Language, and etc. So there was no problem there, but what Dr. Wang needed was to integrate her back into the happenings of the modern age.

Aerith was surprised that this order was carried out, and she had a bit of hope that maybe they would let her out sooner or later. Yet that was only little left of that hope.

Suddenly, there was like a click that sounded in her head.

 _Anime!_

That was it! That was that cartoon thing. She imagined them all in "chibi" forms. Aerith had to admit to herself that they all looked quite cute even Strucker, but Aerith rolled her eyes at the thought of it. Strucker would be such a snotty child, a little diabolical little shit.

Aerith lay down on the ground. For some reason, she preferred the painstaking cold hard floor to the soft comfy cot she used to have. She figured it was because of her powers that made her feel the earth or whatever hippie-dippy stuff. Since she wasn't actually using the bed anymore, they removed the metal bed frame and just left her the mattress, her pillows, and her blanket.

Looking at the dull wall before her, she began to wonder what her "neighbours" were doing. From the looks of what she remembered the last time she saw them, they had given them something to keep them busy. At least, they gave the girl something. Aerith couldn't remember them giving the boy next door something. Maybe because they thought with him moving around in an accelerated rapidity would be enough to keep him busy.

There was another thump coming from the cemented wall across her. It was him again, bumping to his cell's walls. He has been doing it a lot during the past 2 months. Around her first few days of her new settlement, she thought he was going to break through the wall. So far the walls didn't seem to be in a hurry to fall apart. She wouldn't be surprised if it was actually her powers strengthening the walls. Sometimes he would keep on bumping the wall throughout the whole night, it was incredibly loud and annoying as it disturbed her sleep. Aerith found it out that her emotions affect the nature directly, so control was essential for her. From the reason of his speed is why Dr. Wang nicknamed him Road Runner because of that he mentioned once. And for his sister, he decided to temporarily nickname her Glinda, the good witch in the Wizard of Oz, because for the reason of the scarlet glow she emits. These names were to remain until Aerith does learn about their names.

Every thrice a week Dr. List, Dr. Wang, or even both would move her to a greenhouse they built in the vicinity of their base to practice her skills. Though, she could not use the greenhouse as an escape route as the glass planes were laced with concentrated electromagnetic radiation that would cause irregularities to her powers. After her scheduled practice was over she would be normally led to a sterilization room to clean her up, making sure no speck of dirt was left and afterwards she would be lead back to her sterile room.

In her room, she couldn't use much of powers, only to conjure flowers but that's it. Like the greenhouse, the walls of her cells were laced with concentrated electromagnetic radiation. So, she was stuck and caged like an animal in a zoo. There was one wall that wasn't greatly laced as the others and that was the wall that separated her from the silver-head boy. The ginger tried the wall, but it was useless.

Dr. List had lectured her about her present power's limitations. Apparently, the scientist was intrigued back then when she discovered powers because she shouldn't have been able to conjure those vines. This was because of the lack plants and the potential for plants to grow. Dr. List figured it was because of the dust and the dirt that she was able to it, but it was remarkable (He said).

Aerith loved being with the earth, the feeling of the grass beneath her toes, and the scent of fragrances from different flowers. Though, her loved for the earth would leave her in a mess of dirt smear all over her. That was one thing she loved the sterilization process however annoying it can be. She was happy that she was given the chance to clean herself from head to toe and inside and out.

Today, Aerith was wearing a loose grey shirt and wide leg trousers. Her flats were replaced with white slip-ons. Her hair was braided into a messy French braid with her front bags were loose and curled because her constant twirling of her hair. She sighed crawling to her mattress, leaning against the wall.

What did she get herself into?

Aerith sighed as she twirled her finger around a lithe light green vine. She hummed softly, trying to distract herself from the pounding of the wall. Her eyes felt heavy and she drifted off to a soft and sweet sle—

"Boo!"

Aerith exclaimed a curse in fright and jumped from her mattress where she lay. She leaned against the wall behind her with a hand on her chest to control her heartbeat. She looked around the room but saw nothing.

"Yoo-hoo!"

The sound of the voice taunted her when it was followed by a mocking laugh. The ginger looked around the room, but something caught her eye. While her head was moving, why wasn't her reflection following her?

The ginger stared at her reflection had it just smiled at her. She felt shivers down her spine, slowly controlling her breathing. Her reflection just seemed to be amused her reaction, and so she laughed again.

"Awww! I'm scaring you, aren't I?" her reflection said with a playful pout and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"W-What are you?" Aerith asked in a soft whisper, she shook her head and asked again, "Who are you?"

"I'm you." Her reflection simply answered, before pausing and adding to statement. "Or at least, I'm your reflection. I must say you have damn nice legs."

The comment made Aerith's mind stop. She was confused and flustered.

"What?" she asked with confusion etched on her face. A second later, she masked it in a more serious face, "Show yourself."

It wasn't a request. It was a demand. Her voice was firm and strong like a mountain. Deep down inside Aerith didn't know where the tone came from, but she figured it was all from the books Dr. Wang would give her and Strucker's constant demands.

Although, it was clear the woman was surprise at Aerith sudden change in voice, but brushed it aside. "Why? Are you scared, Miss Jude?" she said, tilting her head to the side. "I promise I won't bite. Can't you trust your reflection?"

Her tone was mocking, adding to the sly smile she displaced. Aerith knew from the beginning that the voice of her "reflection" was not her own. It was American.

"I'd be a fool to think you were me." The ginger sneered, "Besides, last time I checked I wasn't American."

There was silence until her reflection laughed and started to clap. Her reflection stood up and with the blink of Aerith's eyes, it was not her reflection anymore. In front of her was a dark-skinned woman in dreadlocks gathered up and tied to a ponytail. She wore a leather jacket over a black shirt. Her jeans were ripped and her combat boots well-worn yet had held a bit of lustre. The stranger's brown eyes bore into her turquoise ones, discerning her in the guise of playfulness. A surge of distrust washed over Aerith. There was something wrong with the woman in front of her, something unnerving like seeing dark clouds appearing in a rather sunny and peaceful blue sky.

"Well met!" she said with another laugh. "You don't know how exasperating it is to live with idiots."

She stopped her laughed and looked at her with a stoic façade. She lifted her feet and once she brought it down her foot was out of the glass, soon she was going through like it was some portal. This just freaked Aerith out. Aerith's heartbeat quickened and her breathing became more swallow. A headache rose and Aerith closed her eyes to suppress them back. There were bright flashes that lit in the darkness of closed eyes. She could hear the screams more vividly now. The flashes of burning corpses printed itself in her mind. The pain intensified when amongst the screams was a distressed voice.

" _Aerith, we have to go now!"_

It was happening again.

Blood was everywhere amongst the flashes of people's faces contorted with pain and fear. Instinctually, Aerith lifted a hand and rubbed the left side of her forehead. The headaches had been coming more frequently since she got her powers. It seemed even her healing powers could not heal such things or prevent them. The pain subsided again and Aerith opened her eyes to the woman staring at her with a cold and calculating yet amused demeanour.

Her lips were pressed together and her head tilted as she stood before Aerith, and then a bright smile appeared again on her face.

"They weren't kidding when they said you were a Brit." She said with a laugh, masking all signs of her coldness. "But, they didn't say you were pretty, but alas you're not my type. Redheads aren't really my area." She commented as an afterthought, humming to herself.

Aerith was taken aback with the woman's comment…again. She felt bewildered and flustered. No one really told her she was pretty, but it surprised her to see it was a woman that called her that first. A woman who had copied her reflection and scared the shit out of her was the last person she expected to tell her that she was pretty. The ginger couldn't say anything at the moment of contemplation. First her legs, now she was calling her pretty.

The smile on the woman's face widened as she said playfully, "What? Cat got your tongue?" she crouched down to Aerith eye level. The woman remained in the vicinity of the mirror, being away from Aerith in about a few metres.

"Pardon me?" Aerith blurted out, pressing against the cold wall. Then, a realization hit her. Her turquoise eyes widened and she muttered softly, "You are one of us."

"Who is 'us' when there is only you?" the woman asked with a smirk.

Now, Aerith was confused again. Didn't this woman know about the others?

A dark thought entered her mind. What if the two others died without her knowing?

No. It wouldn't be possible. For once, Road Runner's thumping was rather comforting. Maybe this girl was not aware as of yet the existence of Road Runner and Glinda. Yet this worried her so.

"There are two more with powers like you and I." Aerith informed her, hoping that she knew that they were alive.

The woman's face was blank at first, and then a flash of recognition was on her face.

"Oh, yeah!" she snapped her fingers remembering the both of them. "Yeah, they aren't like you and I. And their _Boring._ " She forced a mocking yawn to prove her point.

Aerith's face scrunched up in confusion. What did she mean they weren't like them?

"What do you mean?" she asked her.

"I mean that your "neighbours" are enhanced, born human and just mutated to have powers." She gradually informed her, brushing off an ant that managed to crawl onto her shoulder. She then lifted her index finger pointed to herself. "I am born with my gifts. I am a mutant." She proudly stated.

"So, what am I?" Aerith asked curiously.

She noticed that she hadn't mentioned what Aerith was yet. In this strange woman's perspective, Aerith was neither enhanced nor mutant, so what was she?

The woman stared and smirked, clearly amused with the curiosity Aerith had shown. She sat down the floor just in front of her in an Indian sitting position. Her elbow propped by her knee as she stared Aerith down.

"You, my sweet," She began, pointing a finger at her. She flicked her wrist and clicked her tongue in her mouth. "Are a mystery." She finished saying with a smirk.

It had been a month more since her meeting with the dreadlocked woman who goes by the name of Sera Zwingli. From the month Aerith had known her, she didn't think of her as a threat. Dangerous was Sera middle name. And Aerith was still wary of her, but she couldn't help but think of her as a friend. It had turned out that she was not a HYDRA agent, but an escaped patient of theirs. Sera had been hiding in the base, but the reason she had not escaped yet was still unknown.

Aerith was suspicious of Sera yet oddly enough she found comfort in her. Sera seemed to such a confusing person, an enigma in between of being a cold bitch and a playful child. Sera would always appear around the night when everyone was asleep and lesser guards on patrol, although her timing was always _impeccable_.

"Hello sweetie!" Sera appeared through the mirror again. She plopped besides Aerith on the mattress.

It was an understatement to say that Aerith was irritated, but if she was, she would not show it. Sera had been teaching her to guarding her emotions and keeping control of her powers. Having her as a mentor for one hour, achieved more results than "methods" used by Dr. List.

Aerith groaned at the sudden shift of weight on her mattress. She turned around and blinked blearily. She rubbed her eyes to see Sera lying beside her, staring at the ceiling with her leather jacket still on with her boots caked with mud. The ginger groaned again, laying her head back down her pillow. Sera had been the main reason why her sterilization process had intensified. Aerith looked at her hands. They were still pink from the scrubbing.

The silence went on and Aerith took comfort in it to sleep peacefully, but Sera wouldn't have it. Aerith felt an arm snake around her waist and she felt something on the crook of her neck. Opening her eyes, she saw Sera back hugging her with her head on the crook of her neck.

"What are you doing?" Aerith asked, shaking her face off her neck.

Sera removed her head, but her arm still remained around her waist. Using her free arm, she propped her elbow on the pillow placing her head on it, looking down at Aerith.

"I'm bored." She whined.

"It is three o'clock in the morning."

"Fuck off."

Aerith laughed and after a few moments Sera laughed with her.

Night had fallen and they talked for hours on end. It didn't make sense for Aerith, but this made her feel like she could trust her although it's too early to tell. Soon the ginger began to drift until she was completely asleep. And she woke up again by the sound the door opening.

Aerith groaned as she turned around to see Dr. Wang with a tray of food just for her. She sat up groggily not caring about her hair that was covering her face. Even with her face was covered by hair she knew full well that Sera had left early. It had become some sort of daily occurrence that for some odd reason only God knows why it was so that she just happened to be her cellmate now.

"Up and at them!" he greeted towards her, throwing her a juice box which Aerith barely caught in her state of consciousness.

"Well, good morning to you too!" Aerith greeted, running a hand through her hair and brushing her hair off her face.

The scientist set the tray in front of Aerith neatly as possible. Aerith pierced the straw in the juice box and started sipping it. The ginger noticed something different with Dr. Wang today. His hair was more tussled and messy. There dark rings around his eyes that were barely noticeable under his glasses. He wasn't sleeping nicely lately. That troubled Aerith to know that something was bothering him. It really surprised her a few weeks ago that she started thinking of Dr. Wang as a friend.

Aerith started eating her food in a delicate matter, carefully not to stain the sheets she was still on. He had brought a turkey sandwich for breakfast, an apple (fresh from the garden), and a grape juice box that was already finished by her.

"So, what now?" she asked him, swallowing her last bite of the sandwich and picked up the apple.

Dr. Wang had taken it as his responsibility to clean up Aerith cell. He was folding her blankets when she asked. He hummed thinking.

"Today, after I return the tray we are to go to your greenhouse to practice." He answered, setting the folded blankets on the neatly placed pillows.

"Okay." Aerith agreed, wiped her mouth with tissue and her hands with wet wipes before dumping it on the tray.

Dr. Wang got the tray and left without another word. After 5 minutes, Dr. Wang returned but with the company of 5 guards. It was always like that. 5 guards each time, and 5 guards no less. Getting up from her mattress, she followed them outside.

The halls were narrow and bleak as always. Aerith walked in the centre of the guards, following Dr. Wang who was at the front. They went up and down below, through twists and turns, and straighter paths. The way to the greenhouse was not really a long one, but if you lose your way than it would take some time to go back to it.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the greenhouse. The entrance was actually a watertight door with a large metallic wheel at the centre. It was made of some shiny metal. She didn't remember the name of the metal, but knew it was indestructible. Aerith never really understood the concept for the door to a watertight one. It wasn't like they expected her to flood the place…right?

Two bulky guards left her side and went to the door and positioned themselves either side. It took them a great amount of strength to make it spin. And as it spun, it caused a shrieking creak with each movement of the wheel. Aerith hated every time it does that, but she had to deal with it. By the last spin the door locked itself and opened an inch. The guard on his right moved away going back to his place next to Aerith and the one on the left opened it wide open. Inside was a moderately spacious garden as she went inside. Dim it may be for the weather was bleak and cloudy. What light that the skies had to offer shone down upon them, lighting the room a light shade of blue and grey. Weathers in Sokovia were always like this. Winter may have passed by, but the skies still remain the same.

The walls were of glass, framed by metal with vines meshed and entwined on them. Around her were bushes, beds of flowers, and far ahead on the end of the room was a golden chain tree that was beside a pond of water lilies.

From behind Aerith, she heard the door close. She was sometimes left alone to be inside the greenhouse. It wasn't because they trust, but the manner of which she had no escape. She sneaked a glanced on her left. It was just a normal glass wall like the rest of the greenhouse, but this one was different and she knows what lies on the other side. They were always watching her. Every move, every breath, every word that she says, they'll know it one way or another.

Walking down the pavement, she tended to the flowers. The roses seemed austere and so did the lilies. It was no doubt they did not really water them all. With one touch, it bloomed and blossomed again, creating their vibrant glow.

This lasted for about one hour of her time since there was a lot to tend. She knelt down besides the golden chain tree to tend for the violets and daffodils that grew around it.

"You know, they should clean the pond."

Aerith jumped in fright, accidentally tripping into said pond. She felt the cold water submerge her underneath. The pond was deeper than she thought. Aerith looked around to see it was much wider. It was dark as expected as she tried to swim up. It surprised her greatly to know that she could actually swim, but she took no qualms into it. The ginger re-emerged to the surface of the water, coughing and taking deep breaths as she stayed afloat.

There was laughing; Sera's laughter. There was mirth in her eyes as she laughed herself to death. It was funny in her eyes although the dreadlocked woman did not think that there was a possibility that Aerith couldn't swim.

"You should have seen the look of you face!" she exclaimed, bursting into laughter again.

Before Aerith could say a word to Sera, there was a whoosh and a door opened.

"Oops, we have company." Sera said before disappearing into the glass wall.

From the door, emerged Dr. Wang running towards her in haste with a large towel at hand. Aerith slowly waded towards land and tried to climb up again.

"Aerith!" Dr. Wang called, skidding in front of her and helping her out of the cold dirty water.

Once she was out of the pond, he had draped a blanket over her. She was shivering and her skin was cold. This worried Dr. Wang to think that she may develop hypothermia if she stayed exposed to her wet clothes.

"I think you have enough practice for one day, don't you think?" he said with a smile.

Aerith nodded, glaring at Sera who smirked at her in the glass wall. Dr. Wang noticed the action and looked behind him to see no one, but his reflection and hers. Turning his attention back to the matter at hand, he helped her up.

"Thank you." Aerith muttered gratefully, gripping his arm for support.

They walked out of the greenhouse and into the sterilization room where Dr. Wang had waited for 30 minutes. Soon Aerith went out with a fresh pair of clothes. A blanket was draped over the ginger still as they walked back to her cell. She was pressed on Dr. Wang's side as he draped an arm over her, supporting her and warming her up. There was a sign of affection in this act, but not one of romance but of care for a sibling.

When they arrived at her cell, she lay down on her mattress with a thick blanket over her. Dr. Wang tucked her in, making sure she was nice and warm and when he was sure, he left after saying a soft good night.

Dr. Wang walked along the corridor going to the laboratory. He could not deny that he had grown fond of his ginger patient. In the first week of his supervision, he tried to be strict and unattached from her, but in time she won him over.

Wang sat on his desk and wrote his usual daily report while he watched _Attack on Titan_ on mute. He would have watched with sound, but his headphones were missing and it was no use bothering the other scientists.

Looking around the room, he always wondered what it was that brought him to HYDRA. With a sigh, he went back to work –or at least- he tried to. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit the got from his mother. He looked at his left to find a framed family photo just on top of his 50th anniversary edition of _The Lord of the Rings._

Wang stared at the picture and counted each one in the photo. The family photo was taken on a family trip to Laguna, Philippines when he was 18. He was there smiling brightly to know he had entered a promising college. Next to him on his left was his sister, Leia, who had an arm on his shoulder; her hair floating in the wind with a proud smile. To his right was his mother. God bless his mother's soul. Things were never really the same when she died because of cancer. Wang sighed again, removing that memory from his mind.

In the picture, it was obvious to all that someone was cut out for all that was left was an arm draped over his mother's shoulder. That's when David Wang had remembered why he was here. It was all because of dad.


	5. Worst Case Scenario

A/N: I hope you guys would enjoy this chapter next. Thank you for those who have favorited, followed, reviewed, and most of all had taken the time to read this story. What did you guys think of Dr. Wang and Sera in the previous chapter? And Dr. Wang's relationship with Aerith? Please review for your opinions and comments are of great value to me.

To the question of both CordeliaWho and neobendium: I am quite unsure yet about whether she joins the Avengers or go with Pietro and Wanda, but I have started considering options and scenarios if I choose either.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

It had been another month and she read the book Dr. Wang had let her borrow. _Carmilla_ had been such a gripping book to read. Aerith knew for a fact that she was not a fan of vampires, but the story of this particular book was just so interesting.

 _Carmilla_ was a gothic novella written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and known to be one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ by 26 years. Its narrator was a young woman by the name of Laura who was being preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla.

It was a bit unsettling at first to be able to relate somewhat to Laura. As said in the book that she had lived a solitary life which was a life Aerith could understand with Laura's difficulty making friends where they are none. Reading through _Carmilla,_ Aerith started imagining it in the perspective of her being Laura. It was greatly disturbing enough to find that Carmilla was just like Sera in some odd ways. One of the similarities between Carmilla and Sera was the abrupt mood swings. And oddly enough like Carmilla, Sera sometimes make unsettling romantic advances towards Aerith.

This brought a slight chill onto Aerith's spine in which she brushed off. In truth, Aerith had become quite close friends with Sera, but the secrets surrounding her were suffocating. Another thing Sera had in common with Carmilla was that she refuses to tell anything about herself, despite the constant questioning by Aerith. This was a mysterious case for her, and the ginger knew she was also to the dreadlocked woman.

Aerith proceeded reading the book when Sera came striding in through the mirror wall. It had become a usual occurrence for her to use the mirror than the door since she said it was more dramatic. It took Aerith a few days to finally get used to it.

"Well, you're a bit early." the ginger said to her with a smile, not lifting up her head to look at her.

The ginger expected her to plop beside her on the mattress and play with her hair, but she did not. Aerith closed the book and looked at Sera who stood rigidly in front of Aerith with her head down. There was something off about her friend. Rising from her mattress, Aerith approached her in sure and measured steps with the book still in hand, calling her name softly, "Sera?"

There was no answer from her dreadlocked friend. And so she tried again lifting the palm of her hand to touch her shoulder.

"Ser—"

Suddenly, Sera grabbed Aerith's wrist and hurled her to the wall. Aerith hit the hard wall hardly and she gasped in pain. Her book fell on the ground with a loud thump. Sera's hand grabbed her neck and she was pinned to the wall. The next thing she knew Sera was choking her. Aerith struggled under Sera's grip; soon she began to feel the need for her. Helplessly, she tried to push her arms away.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Aerith managed to croak out still struggling with all her might.

"Aww sweetie. Orders are orders." Was all Sera's reply and she soon made a dagger out of glass.

Aerith's eyes widen to what Sera was going to do. She was going to stab her.

Why? Why was she doing this? One whose orders?

The ginger didn't believe her friend to be this heartless to kill. Many questions roamed her mind. Those questions specially hold the curiosity of the one who ordered her so. It was unfortunate to say that Aerith felt betrayed that the only person…the only friend she ever had over the months she spent in this hell-hole, was trying to kill her. Aerith looked her at the eye and saw no remorse or any emotion present at Sera's eyes. It was dark as the void where she drowned her emotions.

Sera was about to bring the dagger down onto chest. In a fraction of a section she struggled more and more on her imminent fate, she managed to kick Sera in the gut. The vitrikinetic jerked back clutching her gut and releasing her hold on the dagger and Aerith. The ginger coughed as she tried to stand up.

Regaining her steps from Aerith's sudden attack, Sera made another glass dagger and approached the crawling Aerith. With a yell, Sera lifted the dagger up to stab Aerith, but it never did its mark. Aerith used the book to block Sera's strike.

Thank god the book was hardbound!

Sera pushed the dagger deeper and deeper unto the book, slowly pushing it down. The ginger tried her best to steady her block, but when she couldn't anymore she let go and rolled out of the way while tripping Sera in the process. There was a groan as Sera collided on the ground. Aerith stood up going to the door and banging on it. She yelled and yelled for help, but during the process of her yelling she didn't noticed Sera had regained her composure and went behind her.

With her belt, Sera strangled Aerith, pulling her away from the door. Aerith was screaming as she struggling.

"Keep still!" Sera shouted at her with feral eyes. She tightened her pull on her belt, strangling the ginger tighter.

In a desperate movement, Aerith managed to scratch Sera on the cheek, leaving four red bloody marks. And she elbowed her on the nose, pushing her backwards and releasing her grip on the belt. Aerith took the time to get a breather as she backed away from the dreadlocked woman. Sera surprised her again by jumping on her, attacking her from behind and tackling her. In dire need, Aerith slammed her heel into Sera's foot. She let out a cry of pain as she heard a crunch of bone and released her arm.

"You bitch!" she yelled as she whipped it around slamming her elbow into Aerith face.

Sera made to throw another punch, but Aerith dodged it again. She used a technique Sera had showed her a few months back and attacked, using her legs to swing her around as she grabbed her. Suddenly, there was a force and Sera were flung back to the wall with a crunch. Only Aerith stayed in her place. She was confused, looking around the room to see that no vine had emerged to her help.

Before she could wonder any further, Sera stirred back to consciousness. Aerith was scared for she was trapped in her cell with a deranged lunatic. She stepped back until she came in contact with the wall behind her. There was a rumbling sound behind her. She turned around to see the wall shaking, and suddenly it began to give way, turning into a tunnel. Aerith held back tears of joy, but they were short-lived when soon she could see Sera trying to get up again. When the way was clear Aerith ran in, she was halfway out of the tunnel when she felt something grabbed her ankle. It was Sera. She pulled her back to the room with a murderous rage. Aerith screamed as she scratched the floor, trying to hold on.

There was a blur and suddenly she was across the room away from the tunnel. The tunnel was closing in and Sera was walking through in murderous rage, but she never got to when there was a silver blur again and Sera was pushed back inside her cell. Sera got up and surged towards the almost closed tunnel. And last Aerith saw was her; she was screaming in rage as the room lit up in flames.

The wall was now just a wall. No tunnel, no anything. It seemed as though it was the same as before. Beyond the wall, Sera was still pounding on the wall and her screams could be heard. Soon, there was silence that unnerved her so. Aerith breathed in heavily, processing what just happened. Tears prickled down her face and she rolled into a ball.

"Well, I didn't see that coming." A heavily accented voice said from beside her.

Aerith jumped in fright, backing up into the mirrored wall. Aerith's head twisted around to land on a muscular man, who was leaning on a wall across her with his arms crossed. His platinum blonde hair lay tangled on his head, and blue eyes looked at Aerith's coolly and also worriedly.

The ginger recognized him immediately. It was Road Runner, the boy next door. Soon, Aerith wiped her tears, and looked around the room. This was definitely his cell yet not as sterile as she was used to by now. She stood taller, knowing that she was in somewhat safe hands. He was but a stranger to her, yet a stranger that saved her life from being killed by Sera.

As manners persist, she bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" he asked with confusion laced unto his tone and face.

"For barging in like this in your room…through your wall with a deranged psychopath behind me," She said awkwardly, trying to imagine how it might have looked in his perspective. She lifted her head up to look at him. "Though, I do owe my thanks for earlier. So thank you." She graced him a kind smile.

Road Runner returned the smile. "I've seen you before." He said with a look of recognition as he rubbed his jaw in thought. "You are one of List's experiments, yes?"

Aerith nodded. "Yes, yes, I am."

"Then it definitely could have been you." He said. "We've never actually met, but I happened to catch your eye when we crossed paths in the hallway."

Aerith remembered that day. She remembered the hope of joy to know she was not alone. A faint smile graced her lips.

"My name is Aerith," she said, stepping forward up. Her knees buckled unexpectedly, and she braced herself to hit the floor.

Before she could react, Road Runner had caught her and set her on his cot. Her jaw sank open in shock, and he smiled devilishly.

"You didn't see that coming?" He asked.

"I'm guessing you've mastered your abilities," she said, ignoring the sharp pains of her body. The healing process was slow and her body ached everywhere with the side dish of feeling drained.

He shrugged. "Almost. I keep running into walls." He ran a hand through his hair.

Aerith chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed."

He chuckled with her sheepishly. "It's nice to finally meet you, Aerith. I'm Pietro Maximoff," Road Runner finally introducing himself.

The ginger felt relieved to finally know his name, so that meant she could not refer to him as Road Runner anymore. She didn't want to try standing again, but she kept her eyes on him. "How do you control it? If I really created that tunnel, how can I do it again?"

Pietro shrugged again. "You can feel it, no? The power; I don't know how else to describe it."

Aerith looked at him, understanding what he meant. She felt the power inside her thrumming in her veins ever since the sickness. She was so weak from the use of her powers, but she felt resilient, like something else was pushing her forward yet she still didn't know what.

"What are you doing here?" Pietro asked. There was a bit of wariness in the tone of his voice. Aerith couldn't blame him at all for she was also wary of him. "You did not volunteer. You sound different, but definitely not Sokovian." He said, adding to his

Aerith clasped her hands together. "I'm British from the land of England," she said with a flourish of open arms.

"So I'm told. Long story short, I woke up in a forest with no memory of who I was and then they found me and they brought me here to be experimented on." She continued to say, crossing her legs and looked at Pietro, "Why did you volunteer?"

"Because I am tired of wars being fought on our streets and the innocent lives that are being taken. I'm angry," Pietro said with his fists clenched.

"I want revenge." He muttered silently, clenching his fists tighter.

Aerith glanced at them and saw how truly deep the feeling went. It troubled her deeply to see his electric blue eyes burned with the fires of vengeance. In a caring compulsion, she reached out putting a gentle hand on his. His fists loosened a bit, but stiff.

"Against who?" She knew she shouldn't be asking this, but at the end she did.

Aerith was concerned. She knew that Sokovia was a war-torn country, but Dr. Wang never delved deeper into the subject saying that it was not her problem.

Pietro looked at her in the eye seriously before he said, "The Avengers. The people they work for. They began all this."

The ginger was shocked to hear this. Weren't the Avengers the heroes?

Dr. Wang had said that they were ones that saved New York City from an alien invasion. Aerith was confused to think of what and why Pietro was set on revenge. With all curiosity aside, she thought it best not to ask any more questions concerning that.

"And so you volunteer for a suspicious organization that gave your super speed," she said instead. "You are brave, I have to say."

Pietro sat down next to her on his cot, leaning on the wall, relaxed. "So, you woke up not remembering anything."

Aerith nodded, "I didn't even remember how I looked like."

"How did it feel like?"

The ginger thought about her answer. There were a lot of things to say to the question. It felt confusing. It felt so sad. It felt so lonely. Aerith didn't really know what to say, but she tried her best.

"Like, there was a part of me that was taken away and all that was there is just a black blurry void." She said sombrely. "Although, I know I was born in Germany and raised in England, but I only knew that because Strucker did some digging about me."

"How about your parents?" he asked.

Aerith sighed longingly. "I don't know. That was what my entire file held."

A sting of pain burst through her heart like it was prodded by a needle. There was silence then Pietro sighed and asked, "Are you going to try making a tunnel through anything else?"

Aerith looked straight at the wall across her, knowing it was the wall separating them from Glinda. "I don't really know how to."

"If you don't learn to use it yourself, List and Strucker will find a way to coax it out of you. Believe me," Pietro said with caution.

Aerith had to think about what he said when it hit her like a ton of bricks. Aerith was angry now.

What had they done to him and Wanda to _coax_ their abilities from them?

The ginger remembered the time Strucker had first tried to coax it out of her. It was with a gun and in the end; she showed him what he wanted. Suddenly the room shook violently. Aerith breathed in heavily, controlling her emotions.

"Earthquakes?" Pietro asked with a raised brow, glancing at her direction.

"No, it's just me being angry."

Pietro laughed lightly. It was a clear sound. His eyes brightened as his white teeth flashed at her. Aerith smiled back before focusing on her power. There was surprisingly a lot of dust in the room, and so she focus on that. Stretching her hand out, slowly the dust gathered together as she twirled her hand. Soon she made a little tornado of dust. Closing the palm of her hand, the tornado fell down to the ground. Then, she remembered something.

Just before the tunnel closed in on Sera the room was lit up in flames and earlier when she tackled her she was blown off. An idea went to her mind.

Concentrating on her hand, she felt it turn warm and she opened her palm to see a flame dancing on her fingers. There was a gasp and she knew it was Pietro. With a quick flick of her hand, the flame was gone. A smile lit up her face, so she can manipulate fire too. The revelation was quite ironic for her since fire mostly destroys plants with a single touch. Next she tried to conjure the other one which was air. Stretching her hand up and concentrated, she breathed soft and heavy breaths, but nothing happened. Soon, she dropped her hand. So, air was going to be a tough one, but how about water?

"Dr. List warned me about this." She said to him almost absent-mindedly. "That my power could develop into something more."

"What do you mean?" Pietro asked with curiosity etched on his face and a guarded expression.

"Before I only used to have Plant Manipulation and healing, but know over the last few months there was been developments. Dr, List told me that because of my power being that of earth, there was a possibility of it turning into something more. He said that the power over earth and flora were extensive, so there was no knowing of when it would stop." She looked at Pietro.

Aerith didn't really know why she was so quick to trust him just after a friend of hers just tried to kill her. She should be more careful and guarded, but something told her that there was nothing to be afraid of him. That she could trust him.

Pietro nodded in understanding. "If you say so,"

Aerith turned her attention to the wall imprisoning them both. With these abilities, she could escape. Strucker wouldn't stand a chance. She could finally be free.

"Be careful." Pietro said to her, bringing her attention to him. "They would be watching."

The ginger nodded in acknowledgement. She knew they were watching her, but after 4 months it still disturbed her. Watching her through the window of her cell—wait! Her cell! She couldn't go back now. Not with everything inside of it burnt to a crisp. And the burnt corpse of Sera would be waiting for her there. It made her cringe and sick. Damn, she even left _Carmilla_ there.

"Pietro…" she called softly, glancing up at him.

Pietro looked over to her. "Yes?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Can I…um…stay here for a while?" she asked sheepishly, hiding her blush in her red hair, hoping to mask it.

Pietro smiled widely, and nodded. This brought relief to herself as she breathed out the breath that she held. But, Pietro's smile was short-lived like almost anything in Aerith's life nowadays. "Do you think you could do me a favour? My sister…Wanda…I haven't seen her in a while, not since we entered the base. Perhaps maybe you could make another tunnel to her cell."

Aerith nodded in understanding of his predicament and the sentiment of the favour. Deep down inside, she was glad that she also knew the name of the other twin.

"I'll try." She said, sliding of the edge of the cot. She could see from the corner of her eyes Pietro watching her to make sure she didn't keel over again, and she gave him an exasperated look. He put his hands up, smiling slightly.

"I don't know if this'll work," she warned him, stepping towards the wall.

Taking a deep breath, she touched the hard and cold wall and focused her attention on the solid wall. It began to shake, more and more violently. Then, it was not a tunnel that it made, but a crack split down the centre, and then it crumbled to the floor.

"Okay, that didn't go the way I wanted, but..," Aerith said, looking down at her hands. Turning back to look at Pietro, she gave a small smile and said "Ta da!" she sprung her hands in the air.

"Well, I'm impressed," Pietro said with an appreciative smile.

A second later he became a silver blur. And then a moment later he returned with a girl in his arms. He set her down and Aerith focused in on her. It was Wanda. She was pretty and even prettier up close.

"Wanda, this is Aerith. Aerith, this is Wanda, my twin sister."

Wanda looked at Aerith coolly. "Who are you?" she asked with her accent heavy emphasizing each word.

"I'm from the cell next to Pietro's." she answered simply with a smile.

Wanda didn't look satisfied, but Pietro gave her a look, as if to tell her it wasn't the time.

"What can you do?" She asked with her accent.

"Um…I'm quite not sure yet, but I think I'm on the road to elemental manipulation." Aerith answered. "You?"

Wanda raised her hand and red energy began swirling around them. She forced it at one of the fallen pieces of mortar and it burst into a thousand fragments. Her eyes flared briefly a deep red.

"That. I can read minds. I can control them; make them see what they fear most."

Aerith whistled in amazement. "So, telekinesis. Mental manipulation," she said.

Wanda nodded. It was then that Aerith decided to show a tiny bit of her powers to Wanda.

"Now, I'll show you a gist of mine." The ginger said as she clasped her hands together like she had something inside. This made Wanda wary, especially when Aerith's eyes glowed with a myriad of silver, gold, green, and blue. Slowly, Aerith opened her palms to reveal a beautiful floating flower that blossomed and glowed with the same colour as her eyes. Gold and silver lights swirled around and above, crowning the flower that was a glowing hue of blue and green.

Wanda gasped and gawked at the beauty of the flower, and Aerith knew Pietro did too admire it.

"It's so beautiful." Wanda breathed out, "May I?" gesturing to hold the flower.

Aerith nodded. Wanda opened her palms as Aerith guided the flower over to Wanda's hands. Soon it settled, and Wanda faintly smiled at the sight, but then suddenly there was a flux and without meaning to, Wanda's hands glowed scarlet and the flower was destroyed.

"I'm sorry." Wanda immediately apologized to her.

Aerith smiled faintly. "It's fine. I can always make a new one."

Before any more words can be spoken, ten armed guards poured in.

"Put your hands over your heads," Strucker said lazily as they pointed their guns at everyone. All three of them had their arms over their heads. "Now, follow me."

Strucker filed out of the room with three enhanced following him. They walked through a dim hallway surround by heavily armed guards. Then, after a while they arrived at a new lab filled with more scientists and equipment. Though, what really was the eye-opener was the large cell in front of them. It was like their cells before but more spacious and there was a bunk bed and a single bed.

"Dr. List was very impressed with all of your abilities. I am more so. An energy field has been constructed around the outer walls of all the calls to prevent you all from escaping along with a more potent electromagnetic radiation barrier. Dr. List thinks you all should be allowed to _socialize_." He seemed disgusted with the notion.

"There would also be _extra_ security." He seemed to have spat those words out. It was clear that he was angry at the thought of them being infiltrated by the things he had turned the three of them.

Three of them were now pushed inside the cell with guards locking the door behind them. To Aerith it looked like there wasn't even a door anymore since it camouflaged as part of the glass. This made her remember Sera which made her feel sick.

Aerith looked at the twins. They both seemed shocked by the sudden relocation. Aerith was already use to the whole relocation thing. It was always going to be the same anyways, but this was new since it was with people.

"At least we will not be isolated anymore," Pietro said optimistically.

Aerith sighed, heading towards the beds until a strong headache arose from her head. They had been happening frequently now and it came back stronger than before. She groaned and her hand massaged her head. Hopefully, no one would notice, but someone did.

"Aerith, are you okay?" Pietro asked, looking away from Wanda and started approaching her.

The ginger held onto the post of the bunk bed and controlled her breathing. She nodded towards Pietro, signalling she was okay even when she was not. She was feeling faint.

 _Aerith!_

Her mind shouted the familiar voice again. The flashes were beginning to unfold and Aerith clutched the post tightly for more support.

" _Aerith, snap out of it!"_

 _The screams were everywhere as houses burned and children were slaughtered._

" _Aerith, go run!"_

 _The men were being decapitated and women were abused. The cries of the innocent were everywhere._

" _Help us! Please!"_

" _Why won't you help us?"_

" _I will find you and I will see you again."_

 _Big round brown eyes stared at hers._

" _Aerith?"_

"Aerith!"

She snapped out of her trance to find herself in Pietro's arms. She must have fallen.

"Are you okay?" Pietro asked again, helping her up her feet.

Aerith nodded at him while she tries to block the voices out. Pietro didn't seem convinced and asked again, "Are you okay?"

"Why do you care?" Aerith asked with curiosity in her voice, but so was irritation. She looked at him with confusion "We just met." She said more softly like a whisper.

"It's not every day you're woken up by a beautiful girl making a tunnel through the wall."

Aerith sighed, stepping away from Pietro. She glanced at Wanda.

"Does he always flirt this much?" She asked her, and Wanda smiled slightly.

"I've been trying to work it out of him for years."

Pietro looked offended for a moment, but masked it turning back into the subject at hand. "Aerith, Ri, can I call you Ri?"

"No." she said, earning a small smile from Wanda.

"Ri, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I am."

The door opened again and came in Dr. Wang with a medical bag. With a nod, the doctor nodded towards the singular bed opposite of the bunk beds. Aerith nodded back and went to the bed. Dr. Wang had already set all the things he needed by the time Aerith sat down.

The ginger could feel the twins stares as they watch every move the doctor and the ginger made. They were suspicious especially the silent communication that seemed to have went on with the two.

Pietro was concerned. He knew that Aerith would most probably been injured because of that psychopath and if the shouts and the hard bumps on the walls were anything judge, his new ginger friend would be injured. Although, when he pushed that woman from her and saved her, he didn't see any injury.

"Roll up your sleeve." He said to her and the twins watched her obey without on fuss.

It was a bit unnerving to see Aerith obeying a scientist that was in league with Strucker and Dr. List. The twins expected hesitancy and caution from Aerith, but she seemed friendly and albeit guilty.

"I told you to be careful." The scientist said, breaking the silence, pulling out a tourniquet and strapping it around Aerith's upper calf.

"I know I should have told you." Aerith said quietly, looking down on the ground.

"You should have." Dr. Wang said firmly, he gently opened an alcohol swab and wiped it on the crook of her elbow. Aerith always preferred that Dr. Wang would do it than Dr. List. Even after months she had not forgotten her first "medical examination" performed by Dr. List. The ginger was always curious with the scientist in front of her. He did not fit to be a HYDRA agent. He seemed to be like a regular medical doctor.

Dr. Wang kept the trash away and picked up the butterfly syringe. Once Pietro had seen the syringe he was going push him away from her, but was stopped by the hand of his twin sister that was placed on his chest. Wanda gave him the look and Pietro stopped himself. He could see Wanda's worried eyes towards him. He knew exactly why that was so, and he did not have an answer for it yet. Here he was going to protect a mere stranger from next door until he was stopped by his sister. He didn't know why, but he guessed it may be gratitude. Gratitude for her breaking down the wall and letting him reunite with his sister. And maybe even the feeling that there was finally someone else who was like them that relieved him. That he was glad that he wasn't alone. Then there was also probably pity because of Aerith's misfortune to wake up in place she didn't know and to find she had remembered nothing about herself or her past. Whatever happens to him he would at least have Wanda, but Aerith was alone and afraid. And Pietro felt that duty to remedy that.

"What are you doing to her?" he asked the scientist in a warning voice.

He heard the scientist sigh, letting the cold metallic tip puncture swiftly in her vein. "I am getting a blood sample."

"Why?" it was Wanda who asked this time. Wanda may not have been protective, but it was suspicious of them to take her blood sample and that not theirs.

There was a quiet click that made Wanda cringe upon the many times Dr. List had punctured a needle to her.

"The reason of which is unavailable to you or to me." Dr. Wang answered as he pushed the vial into the adapter attached to the needle and started filling it with Aerith's crimson blood. "I have been ordered by Dr. List to conduct this with no explanation whatsoever."

Pietro looked at Wanda to see if he was saying the truth. By the nod she gave him, he was being honest. Soon, the needle was gone and the scientist was holding a cotton ball over the puncture site.

"Firm pressure," he said to Aerith and she obeyed placing her fingers to the cotton ball. Once the bleeding stopped, Dr. Wang put a small, round plaster over the puncture site.

When that was done, the scientist was cleaning up his things then took his leave without as much as a how do you do.

* * *

 _BAM!_

Strucker slammed his fists on his desk. He was furious, absolutely furious to know that someone had infiltrated the base. He was so filled with rage he had killed the guards posted on Ms. Jude's cell. Their deaths were most likely were caused when they mentioned not hearing anything in her cell.

"Where is she from!?" Strucker practically shouted at Dr. List who remained calm throughout his whole fit.

They had just returned from the burnt ruin of Ms. Jude's cell. In truth, he was happy when Dr. List informed him that the flames were her doing, but the unidentifiable burnt corpse in the middle of it did nothing but let it sink. He had sent Agent Basso to search for more information about her. It had been long enough and Basso was still looking.

"We still don't know." Dr. List calmly answered him.

The very words made his anger rise but he did not hurt the scientist with it. No, he cannot. List was still of use to him. Instead he had slammed his fists on his desk again, shouting a curse to the heavens. The woman was not of SHIELD he knew that much. SHIELD could not have regained so quickly since its destruction. No, it was someone else. Someone out there knew of his plans in this very base. And it made him angry that he didn't know who it was. List was right when he said she must have been a mutant. List had taken to as his duty to "inspect" the corpse of their intruder.

Whoever that woman was didn't like what he was doing. She hated it so much that she would try and murder one of his patients. Whoever that woman was must have been working for someone. Someone knowledgeable about his project and was going to stop him, and so they are a threat.

This knowledge may have unsettled many men with a dangerous secret, but this did not affect Strucker. No, it made it more challenging. And believe it or not, he liked challenges. He would not stop for anything. The world will come to end anyways. And from its ashes shall come the Age of Miracles.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading please review!_


	6. Cell Mate Blues

_A/N: Yeah, I'm sorry for such a long wait. I had so much wonky things going on the last week so it sort of distracted me from this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

* * *

 _Click! Click! Click!_

Dr. Wang was playing with his ballpoint pen. What seemed like minutes had transpired into hours, and nothing seemed to be popping into mind. He was entrusted with filing reports for not only Aerith, but of both the Maximoff twins. He was supposed to write not only their progress in power and health, but also in terms of social interaction which deemed to be quite a challenge for him. He had already done Aerith's part, but for Pietro and Wanda…who can say?

The meticulous otaku nerd couldn't quite describe their personalities as well as their behavior. Usually, he was good in reading movements and through expressions, but one cannot do so when one of the persons he was supposed to observe can move in supersonic speed, and the other reading your mind as time files. The Sokovian twins were unpredictable to a point.

From what he had gathered from the 3 days of their new incarceration and his beginning of being their medical physician, they were very distrustful about almost everyone except themselves, always together. They were like two peas in a pod, and this relatively true since they were twins. He thought about what he learned about the twins. Some were plausible, some were appalling, and some were just very debatable.

Pietro Maximoff, what an annoying little shit. Wang has no hard feelings for him, but he can be so annoying at times. Running around the room, making him dizzy; stealing his pens whenever he wants to; scattering the papers around; coming out of nowhere saying "You didn't see that coming?"

It was like dealing with a child; a very overgrown child.

It scared the shit out of him in the first day hence, his non-regrettable action to hit him with a book by instinct. It caused quite a bump on his first impression as their physician. Yet still he did not regret it.

The older Maximoff twin was a bit cocky for his taste, but despite this particular attitude he had to admit that he found that Pietro had a –seemingly- good heart and was very caring about his sister. That was one thing Wang can relate to since he too had a sister. His big sister may be, but his sister no doubt. Pietro protects Wanda physically and Wanda protects him emotionally.

Another thing he learned about him was his short-temper and recklessness. He was quick to anger and harder to control; stubborn as a mule but kind in a certain way.

Wang had to admit that he was thankful for him in accepting Aerith and trying to fill the loneliness that still clung onto her soul. Although, he was displeased in some actions he does it.

He had charm, he'll give him that but for him to flirt with Aerith was unbearable to watch. It wasn't because he was jealous since he held no particular affection of that kind towards her. It was because of his brotherly instinct. Wang had taken it to think of Aerith as a somewhat little sister of his. A little sister he never got to have and to watch _his little_ _sister_ be dallied upon made him sick.

Looking at their settlement in front of his desk, he was glad Aerith was in the greenhouse doing only List and Strucker knows what. Shaking his head, he thought upon the younger twin, Wanda Maximoff.

In fairness, he liked her better than her brother. Not because she was a woman and was very pretty (even though he had to admit she was), but it was because she was calmer and –he dare say- respectable than her reckless and hotheaded brother that was Pietro. Albeit, she was more distrustful and less sociable to others, but can anyone really blame her?

According to their files that when they were children a bomb went off in their home, killing off their parents and ever since that fateful day they only had each other. Wanda had no other family than Pietro. It was normal for someone like her to be less sociable to others that weren't her brother.

Wang sighed as he continued to file his report.

There was a cough and Wang looked up to see List standing before him. His look was the same as always. Inquisitive, apathetic, cold and calculating, that was his normal face. Wang tried to copy the look, but it was hard to take it seriously when he knew he was wearing a decorative Star Wars shirt.

They were allowed to wear any clothing they like, but most scientists opted to wear more formal grey suits with their boring lab coats. He does wear suits sometimes, but he found it more comfortable to work in his normal nerdy clothes, or even pajamas.

"I trust there's been improvement on your patients." List said, eying his shirt and his desk littered with stacks of mangas and books with action figures on top of them.

It was obvious that he was the odd ball in the laboratory—no wait, actually the whole of HYDRA. He couldn't blame List for holding a bit of disgust since his desk looked like a Comic Con stall of various fandoms and he knew this wasn't really his thing.

Wang nodded at List, pulling three separate filed reports for each patient. List accepted them, scanning through each file with criticizing eyes. He stopped –of course- in his reports on Aerith.

"Is this a sign of her having Elemental Manipulation?" List asked, reading the gather information and potential theories of Wang.

The report was clear and detailed with complete information. It included the changes in her DNA, health, known abilities and their progression, limitations, possibilities, complications, benefits, threats, and even a bar graph that charted the possible kinetic power. List was impressed as he listened to Wang's explanation.

Yes, David Wang would become a very promising one indeed. This was the reason he picked him than the other two that were the Maximoff's previous physicians.

It was no secret that David Wang was more skilled than the two. He had a brilliant mind and the tenacity of a lion, but what List was worried about the most was his tendency to be easily attached. It was this that had become David Wang's weakness and the reason for List's doubts.

"Dr. Wang," he called him, cutting him off from his ramblings.

Wang looked at him sheepishly with his mouth pursed into a thin straight line, but he had a look in his eye as if it was saying that what he said was only the beginning. That was another thing that worried List.

Passion was not a problem, but the thing he was passionate for was.

* * *

Pietro glanced at the spot on the glass wall where the door should be. Their new roommate hasn't comeback yet. This was the second time this day and the sixth time in the whole three days they had been cellmates. It was suspicious to say at least that they would take her and leave without another word. Sometimes it would be List, Wang, or even Strucker escorting her to only God knows where.

This was a very odd occurrence over the days. He had to admit that it was suspicious at first, but most of the time when she could come back she would either be unconscious or pale and shaken.

That was what made him begin to doubt that she was a spy. Instead it made him worry since Strucker was involved. Pietro was here long enough to know that anything that has to do with Strucker had to be something horrendous and inhumane. And to imagine what Strucker would be doing to their flaming red-haired friend made his stomach churn.

A voice in his mind told him not to take heed of the situation. It was –in fact- not his problem, but his conscious told him to. Nobody deserves the same tortures they went through in those experiments…especially those who were forced into it.

Pietro cannot deny that he had wanted this to happen. Not exactly like this, but they had promised them devices that could save their country and they gave them just that. It just came with a price. Pietro ran a frustrated hand through his already tussled hair. He guessed that they had it coming when Wanda and he volunteered. They were determined and desperate to save their country from the ruins of war, but in the desperation they were tricked.

How can they be so blind?

He sighed softly. It was no use complaining now. All that had happen was in the past and he does not have the means or the power to change that. What he can do now was survive another day and just keep running. He looked at the empty bed at the corner of the room, opposite to theirs. It was Aerith's bed, so detached so lonely with its white sheets untouched. He had not seen her leave this morning nor did Wanda.

It was exceptionally odd for him to worry about a stranger so quickly. Yes, he was still wary of her, but things can change if time can allow it so. It was because of the moments he had the chance to talk to her. He had learnt that she was secretive, mysterious, and all the more bewildering, but the thing was she was also kind, polite, generous, endearing, shy, and so completely lost like a child in a huge dark forest.

These were not the ingredients that cooked up a spy of HYDRA. A genuinely scared person like her was something that cannot be faked; especially one was to say that she had no memory about her past life.

This was one thing his sister ignored completely.

Pietro glanced at her twin sister, who was at a far corner practicing her powers with some building blocks Wang had given her. Wanda concentrated on levitating them with her hand swishing slowly, guiding them around. As much as Wanda would not admit, she found Aerith to be quite harmless despite her powers, but she could not afford doing such a mistake. Although, how could she know for sure if she never talked to her or even noticed her?

Pietro sighed again, directing his staring contest with the glass wall instead. Looking at his haggard look of his reflection, he remembered the first time he met her.

 _Pietro carried his overthrown bed back into place. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling bored. Breathing out another bored sigh, he leaned against the cold and hard wall. Once his back touched the wall, there was the sound of rumbling. He stood in a blur away from the rumbling wall._

 _It must be an earthquake, but it did not make sense why it was only the wall that shook. Cautiously, he approached it, pressing an ear on the wall. It was then that suddenly the wall slowly opened up and created a passage way._

 _The speedster opted to stay away, unclear of what it could be passing through. He expected a deadly foe of evil or even Strucker, but instead of that it was a woman. She looked scared out of her wits, visible shaken; in all honesty, she looked like a fragile china doll that was about to break. It was proven to be more fragile-looking went he saw the bruises on her arms and on her neck. He guessed her face would be bruised too, but the red curtain that was her hair blocked it._

 _The moment did leave Pietro curious and speechless. Suddenly, the woman fell unto the ground screaming and scratching the floor. There was a hand on her ankle, dragging back to the other side of the cell. At the sight of it, he sprang into action._

 _The world turned in slow motion and he ran, swiftly carrying the red-haired woman away from the threat. And when the woman was deemed safe, he pushed her attacker away from the closing wall and into the fiery inferno that was became of the room._

It was shocking to say the least to see the pure feral bloodlust in the eyes of the attacker. It was also a she, and also surprised him so. Also with the undignified nature of her attempted murder.

He found himself wondering who she was, the attacker he means. He only asked Aerith once since when he asked it, she went pale, but he did get an answer, an answer that bothered him quite greatly.

 _She was my friend…_

The words sounded empty of all emotions except for grief, anger, betrayal and even…fondness. It confused him to think that the feral woman was her friend, even more so to think why she tried to kill her. He sighed again, getting those thoughts away from his head. He must respect Aerith's privacy for she had respected his even if it baffled him, begging him to uncover more. Perhaps someday he would, but the manner of how he would find out eluded him.

There was a sound of pressurized air being released and the door appeared, lining the glass wall with black lines. It annoyed him that the door seemed to appear anywhere n the vicinity of the glass. With its puffing sound, it opened.

Aerith went in wearing new clean grey clothes with her hair down. He stood up to greet her, but stopped at the sight of Dr. Wang entering with a brief case on hand. Pietro watched as Aerith sluggishly laid down her bed, exhausted. Her breath was ragged from the uneven and rapid breaths she let out. She groaned as she closed her eyes. Dr. Wang sat down at her bedside, pulling out a syringe.

Within a silver blur, he was already behind their 'physician' to watch what he was going to do next. Pietro guessed it was for a blood sample again which always happened every twice a week. This was still very questionable to think of a reason why he was only taking her blood.

But this time it was not a blood sample. The vial of the syringe in the doctor's man was full of some kind of blue liquid. And he did not opted to pierce it metal tip on the crook of her elbow, but a vein on her neck.

Aerith gasped, her face contorting to an expression of discomfort and great pain. Pietro's fists clenched at the sight, ready to pounce of the physician, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at his right and saw Wanda, watching also with narrowed eyes. It was obvious that Wanda was trying to read their physician's mind, but her face turned into an expression of frustration and confusion. It seemed their physician had successfully eluded Wanda.

When Aerith started whimpering Wang laid a hand on hers and said softly, "Hush, Aerith. It would help with the pain."

The words did not escape the Maximoff twins.

Just what happened to her beyond their white cage?

Once the vial was emptied and Dr. Wang had extracted the metal tip away from their red-haired friend's neck. He did the usual medical procedures and packed up to get away. Although, when he turned around he was met with the suspicious eyes of the Maximoff Twins.

Pietro glared at him, his body tense and shaking with anger; Wanda narrowed her eyes at him, holding her brother back from potentially murdering Dr. Wang.

Their physician remained stoic as he went pass them and exited the room, feeling the glares and stares of the twins. Once he was out of the room, Pietro turned back to a now sleeping Aerith. How peaceful she looked as she slept. The peaceful slumber, full of dreams of a distant place, which would be ruined when she wakes up to the waking reality that was life.

* * *

 _A/N: So this is a bit of a filler chapter, but now you have a little insight of their thoughts on the situation. I hope you guys liked it._


	7. Taking Chances

A/N: Hello guys! Long time since I have updated. I have to say that I am very sorry for that, but school got to me. I hope you guys enjoy this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC.

* * *

Today was the first day Aerith wasn't escorted out of the room. Pietro was surprised that morning to find her asleep on her bed. Normally, he wouldn't have seen her go in the mornings, so far no one arrived. The serum Wang had giving her was still crawling in the back of his mind despite it being 3 days ago. What did he give her?

The speedster tried asking Aerith, but the redhead had not recollection of it. It had seemed to him that whatever the physician injected in the crook of her made her forget. This was a bit worrisome since maybe he might inject the same thing to Wanda and him. Wang did say it was something to soothe Aerith and that it won't be injected to them both yet it was still worrisome and suspicious.

It still didn't escape his mind of Aerith's daily 'outings'. It was abnormal that they would let her get out, but not Wanda and him. This gave Wanda motive not to trust since she may be in league with them. He didn't really understand Wanda's resentment towards Aerith, but he knew that she was really just afraid. Afraid that maybe Aerith would kill them in their sleep. Although, what scared her the most was that she told him that she couldn't read Aerith's mind.

This had shocked Pietro even more than it should. How could it be? How could Wanda not read it?

His twin sister told him that it was as if someone had blocked it from her. This worried both of them, but not so much for Pietro to accuse Aerith. Maybe List had put something in her mind to do such a thing. Maybe he even inserted something at the back of Pietro's back, albeit Wanda didn't need telepathic powers to read his mind. Maybe it was one of the side effects of her powers. Yes, that must be it!

Her powers must have something to do with it, but that did not reassure Wanda. Pietro had asked Wang even though he may be at odds with their physician. Wang just gave him a strange and shocked look. It seemed even he didn't know about that which gave Pietro's theory more resolution.

Thinking about their physician, he had to admit that Wang was certainly more tolerable than the other physician he had. Wang was more empathetic than apathetic. The doctor tries to be, but Pietro could see that he was not used being so detached emotionally from others.

The speedster found him gradually annoying, but smart, and even confusing for Wanda's part. Despite Wanda's new telepathic powers, Wang had always found a way to elude her with graphic images that did not make sense. One of which were giant cannibalistic naked men that ran around with creepy smiles, eating other people. This was actually worrying for the Maximoff twins to actually find out what morbid things he thinks of it. And really it was a lot. Although, Pietro found it funny with one thing his mind projected and it was the green baby that's always stuck to this man's back and every time he cries it electrocutes the man. It amazed him that the man was even alive.

Pietro found it entertaining to annoy him every time. His reactions were always funny except when a book was involved. It had been the 5th time Pietro was hit by a book by Wang. Pietro should have dodged it, but it was always his shout that distracted him since it was so funny. The latest one earned him a bruise on his cheek which Wanda just rolled her eyes upon. Pietro was always getting hurt even back before the experimentation. He had a habit into getting into fights when they were younger. Apparently, the habit never died.

Pietro glanced upon Aerith who was on her bed, smiling blissfully about something in her hand. He didn't know why, but there was something about her smile brightens the walls of perpetual whiteness. Pietro stood up from where he sat and walked towards her.

Aerith stared at the glowing flower in her palm. She didn't know why, but she had been able to communicate with more and more plants. Like yesterday, a shrubbery had just played catch with her. They respond to her emotions. They sense it if she was sad, lonely, angry, happy, scared, and etc. It was like what happened to her the first time she discovered her powers. It was extraordinary. The redhead continued to gaze and smile upon the glowing flower in her hand as its stems entangled itself around her fingers gently. Amazingly, the roots were forming a figure of sorts.

"Busy?"

Aerith looked up to see Pietro standing above her. She smiled at the sight of him.

"No, not at all." She said, motioning him to sit down at the empty space beside.

Pietro sat down making the bed wobble at the sudden gain of weight. It even creaked a little, making Pietro cringe a bit.

Was he that heavy? Maybe, but she was not one to judge.

When he finally settled down, comfortably in his spot he asked, "What are you doing?" He looked at her and then her closed palm.

Aerith hummed as though she was thinking with her eyebrows furrowed. "I am –shall we say- practicing." She said cheerfully. Humming questioningly again, she added. "Although, I doubt watching flower stems making what seems to be a…" she looked at her palm, showing it to Pietro and making a small giggle. "…water fountain counts as practicing when you aren't doing it."

Pietro smiled thoughtfully at her. They had gone close with each other for the past few days which were something Aerith was semi-worried about. Since the last close friend she had tried to kill her, but she didn't let that experience judge this one.

"What do you mean by 'you aren't really doing it'?" he asked curiously, watching the stems sprout pink and blue buds across the sides of the fountain. Pietro had always found her powers quite cute and innocent. Then again, he only managed to see the brighter side of her powers. He knew that the day they met that there was a fire that broke out in her old cell, and Pietro knew it was Aerith who conjured it; although, despite that she only ever used it for good.

"Well, for starters, I'm not controlling the flower." She answered him.

"What?" Pietro asked a bit skeptical. How could she create a water fountain out of the stems of flowers without controlling it?

Aerith laughed softly at the expression Pietro made. He may have had a bit of a skeptical look; it beheld some curiosity and amazement.

"I'm not really controlling this plant. I'm not making it do the fountain."

"How is that possible? Doesn't every power need concentration to be able use it?" he asked the curiosity in his voice, coming out more boldly.

"Apparently, not." She said curtly. "I had discovered over yesterday that I can communicate with plants."

Aerith looked at him to see him looking at her weirdly and at the sight she started to ramble, "Well! I can talk to them, but they can't talk to me which was quite sad really. They can connect with me through my emotions whether I'm feeling sad, lonely, angry, happy, frustrated, and stressed they are there when I need them. Although, I can't actually feel what they're feeling and I don't know what they're thinking. I'm not physic with plants-"

She broke off her ramble as Pietro laughed with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"W-What's so funny?" she said clueless about his sudden burst of laughter.

Pietro cleared his throat, drowning out the next laugh that would've gone out. "You know, you're cute when you ramble."

The comment surprised Aerith a lot, allowing her cheeks to heat up and blush. She opened her mouth to protest or at least say something, but her reaction just made Pietro laugh once more. No way was she cute!

"Pietro!"

Wanda was at the other side of the room, looking frustrated. She was a lot more reserved than Pietro. Aerith found it a lot easier to get to know the older of the twins. Wanda was more suspicious of Aerith. She had reason to be, but the redhead wished she would trust her. She wanted to protect the twins, not hurt them. In all honesty, she scared Aerith a bit. Just a tiny bit, but she was scared nonetheless.

"One moment," Pietro said, and he walked to Wanda's side.

Aerith nodded, staying on the comfort of her bed. The fountain was gone in the palm of hand instead it was replaced by a mass of green stems wrapping themselves around her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze to reassure her. Aerith did wish they could talk to her, but the plants can only communicate through simple gestures like the one right now. It was kind of them, but there was a sudden sharp sting in her chest that made her feel as though she was forgetting something. Lifting her head up, she watched as Pietro and Wanda converse in hush tones of their native tongue. It looked as though they had this conversation before; no doubt the subject was her.

The redhead didn't like to see the twins fighting. It was like she made a big rift between the two of them. She did not want Pietro to choose between his sister and her. Who was she anyways? She was only a mere stranger a few days ago. A stranger then and stranger now…or at least that's what she thought. Either way, Wanda was still his sister. Aerith may not have any siblings, but from what she learned from Wang was that the bond of a brother and sister was close and irreplaceable, especially when they're twins. And she didn't want to stand between them.

There was a whooshing sound and the glass wall opened. Pietro and Wanda stopped their bickering to look as Wang came in with a large thin black bag. The doctor came in wearing one of his uncanny outfits again; sporting an 11th Doctor inspired clothes with the long colourful scarf of the 4th Doctor which its head dangling over his shoulder. And a red fez perched on his head.

This was an odd sight…for Pietro and Wanda anyways. Aerith was used to it with all of the practice meeting with him. It was surprising though that he would let the twins see this side of him.

"What's up, flower girl?" he greeted, getting a chocolate bar from inside his coat pocket and throwing it at Aerith.

The redhead made a move to catch it, but there was a blur and Pietro was suddenly in front of her with the chocolate bar on hand. His back was against Aerith's and she glanced at Wanda to see her in a defensive stance. She just watched in bewildered shock as Pietro faced Wang.

"What are you doing, old man?" Pietro asked with his eyes narrowed and his stance rigid.

Wang's bright Chesire grin was gone in an instant and had turned into a stoic expression.

"Giving Flower girl a chocolate bar which is now with you." He said, pulling his classic bitch face before adding, "What's it to you?"

The doctor crossed his arms and straightens his posture in order to look intimidating despite the height difference. Pietro was -in fact- taller than Wang by a few inches, but the doctor didn't care. He was confronted by way more frightening and taller men in his time in HYDRA, and Pietro was a newt compared to them. There was tension in the room; tension that was really suffocating and perturbing.

"It's also my cell, no?" Pietro stepped towards Wang "Whatever happens in this cell is my problem too, old man."

"Okay, what's with the old man?" the doctor asked a bit irritated. "I'm only 35! I don't do old." He complained, throwing his hands up in the air to make a point.

The speedster and the doctor glare at each other with much intensity that would cause an earthquake. Pietro's fists clench and unclench, shaking violently. It looked as though he was going to punch him right there and now. Wang just looked as more furious and a bit homicidal as his hand clutched his bag tight as if he was going to smack him any moment. Standing up, Aerith stood between to break off their little glare contest.

"Okay, why don't we settle down for a moment?" Aerith suggest with a smile.

It wasn't her normal bright and genuine smile. It was a smile, but more worrying by the amount of murderous tension these two men were giving off.

"I think that stood be wise." Wanda said, supporting Aerith's plan to try and lower the tension.

Wanda may still be wary of her and not overall fond of her, but even she didn't want the battle that might happen between the two. Pietro glanced at Wanda, who glared at him, telling him to stop. Aerith gave the same look to Wang, who just sighed and backed off with his hands in the air.

"Fine" he grumbled, passing Petro and placing his bag on Aerith's bed.

Pietro released his rigid state and turned about to scrutinize every move Wang made.

"What are you doing here?" Pietro asked-or more or spat at Wang.

Wang unzipped his bag and opened it up wide. Pietro expected to see pins and needles or at least some sort of equipment for experimentation, but what he saw was something unexpected. It was a white laptop and a bunch of other gadgetry that didn't seemed to be the kind of things a HYDRA agent was supposed to have.

"I'm here for one reason and one reason only." The doctor said, opening his laptop.

Pietro peered over Wang's shoulder to see his desktop wallpaper was white, but in the middle was a drawing of a white-haired man with blood dripping on his face. His eyes were discoloured. One eye was normal, but the other was…peculiar. The eyeball was black not white and his pupil was bloodshot red. He glanced at Wanda, who narrowed her eyes at the wallpaper as well. At the bottom of the drawing were the words 'Tokyo Ghoul' along with symbols at the bottom. The bottom appeared to like a language neither Pietro nor Wanda recognize, but they knew they have seen it before.

The wallpaper disappeared when Wang clicked on different files.

"And what is that reason?" Wanda was the one who asked with suspicious and her fingers glowing faintly scarlet ready to use it if the doctor was attempting to do something to them.

"I'm here to watch-"

"Paddington." Aerith finished for him with her eyebrow raised.

The Maximoff twins looked at each other in confusion. Both of them didn't know what Paddington was.

"Paddington is a children book series that recently turned into a film about a talking bear called Paddington and his adventure in a city called London." Aerith explained to them.

So, Paddington was a movie. This made sense to the both of them, but a film about a talking bear? Sounded a bit barbaric if you ask Pietro, but why was the doctor watching it here? This didn't make sense. Why a doctor working for a heinous group intentionally would trap himself in their cell just to watch a children's movie in a funny suit?

Wang plopped onto Aerith's bed, plugging the speakers in the audio jack. He seemed relaxed and more casual than what the twins were used too. This must be a scheme made by Strucker in an attempt to lower their guard.

"Why would you watch it here?" Aerith asked, looking also suspicious.

Pietro was a bit thankful that she was falling for his scheme and she was doubtful as the rest of them.

"I asked List if I could watch with you." Wang said, opening the file with VLC and pressed the space bar to pause the movie. He looked up at Aerith with a close-lipped smile. "Now, come on, flower girl. Sit down and watch."

The redhead looked at him disbelievingly and so did the twins. "So, List just allowed you to let me watch a children's movie?"

"Well, I did a bit of lying." Wang admitted sheepishly. "I said, I would let you watch some war documentaries about the Nazis-"

"-Apparently, not-" Aerith commented.

"But then I figured that you needed a break from all the wanton death and horrors of history and treat you a little bit."

"A little bit?" she raised a brow.

"…Okay, in my defence, Anime is worth learning about it such as other fandoms. I know that I should be helping you learn to integrate yourself back into the world that you have so seemly forgotten and also turning you into _one_ of them which is certainly not happening, but why can't have a bit of fun?" Wang appealed to Aerith with a curt and innocent smile.

"What if he finds out you lied to him?" Aerith asked worriedly.

"No he wouldn't. I was assigned to take care of you—all three of you. It's not their business how I intended to take care of you all." He said with confidence in his voice.

Pietro watched the whole interaction between the two of them. The way they converse was like they were old friends and Aerith did say that Wang was helping her learn about the world, so she could adjust by the time Strucker let us go. It was reassuring that one day they all would be released from their prison, but in the way he was going to let them go was worrying. Especially when Wang had ensnared Aerith in his lies and traps, but Pietro was starting to think that maybe Wang may not be as bad as he thought. He seemed to mean well; more himself that all the other times he had seen him. More genuine unless Wang was just a really good actor, but the speedster found himself doubting that.

It had surprised him to hear Wang say that he would lie to his superiors to do such a thing like this. Based from his previous physician, no one would dare to disobey or even lie to either List or Strucker without pain of penalty, but Wang did. And he did it with no care in the world. Not even thinking of the consequences of his actions or for fear of what might be his death.

His thoughts were broken when Aerith sat beside Wang with her legs outstretched. Pietro watched and made a move to walk away and Wanda was doing that just as well until Wang's voice stopped them.

"You can watch with us, you know."

Pietro turned around and saw Wang looking at him underneath his circular glasses. The speedster looked for any sign of feigned kindness, but found none.

"He's right."

Pietro looked at Aerith, who smiled gently at him. "You are welcome to join…both of you."

Her eyes shifted to Wanda whose back was turned against them. It seemed like she wasn't listening, but Aerith and Pietro knew she was.

Pietro thought about it. It would be fun to watch a movie. It had been a long time since he saw one even if it would be a children's movie. Making up his mind, he was already sitting beside the other side of Wang and Aerith.

"What do I have to lose?" he asked optimistically.

With Pietro seated, there was only one left standing, Wanda who was hesitant and distrustful.

"Come on, Wanda." Pietro called out his twin sister.

Wanda had to admit she was shocked to hear that the doctor and their cellmate had invited them to watch a movie with them. Pietro had joined them already which left the decision to her. Would she or not?

She was having an internal struggle about the situation in front of her. It was a tug-a-war in her mind, and no one was winning. There was a creak and Wanda expected it to be Pietro. Wanda looked to see Aerith in front of her with soft eyes. Her first thought was to scare her away, but for some reason she couldn't. Wanda could only stare into the pools of crystal water of her eyes, glistening bright and soft.

"Give us a chance." Aerith said softly, holding her hand out for her.

Wanda stared at her hand, confused. What was she doing? The conflict in her worsened, but it seemed to be mute as she smiled brightly at her. Aerith grabbed her hand gently, and lead her back to the others who were waiting.

"Let's go and watch that movie, _Wanda_."

She looked at the redhead disbelievingly, but did not resist. Wanda had never heard her name be uttered by their cellmate until now. She sounded sincere and kind. Maybe she wasn't as bad as she thought.

"Yes…Let's go…" Wanda mumbled to herself, feeling a little smile appearing faintly.

They sat together and watched the movie.

An hour passed and movie was cute and entertaining as what is expected of a children's movie, but Wanda found herself enjoying it. She sneaked a glanced Pietro who laughed and smiled along with Wang and Aerith. It had been a long time since her brother had ever smiled as widely as he did. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy. She even had the pleasure to know Wang more during the whole movie. He was actually ever funny and eccentric in a good way. His odd antics were actually refreshing.

Looking around the room that imprisoned her and her brother and… _friends…_ it was odd using that name. It felt nice. She looked at the three of them. Seeing it in a different light, in what seemed to be a cage built to ensnare them from the joys of the world to have ironically found happiness from the darkness they built to suppress them.

Wang glanced at Wanda, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts. The smile he beheld was gone.

"You alright, magic girl?" Wang asked her, looking worriedly.

Wanda nodded at him, getting used to his nicknames. "Yes, I'm fine…now

* * *

 _Hooray! Wanda is becoming friends with them! That's nice! Please review please._


	8. A Very Merry Christmas

_A/N: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you guys have a happy holiday. Here is the new chapter in which I hope you guys enjoy._

 _Disclaimer: I do not won Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

* * *

What was it like outside?

Was it still snowing upon the forest of Sokovia? Were there children playing in the snow making snowmen and snow angels? Are they having snowball fights? Were they laughing and smiling?

Aerith wondered as she listened to Wang as he spoke of the wonders of Christmas. The snowmen with their top hats, long scarves, and pointy carrot noses; the Christmas lights twinkling different colors around the house and around the Christmas tree decorated with baubles and whatnot; the story of Santa Claus. All of these were told in detail by no one other than her favorite scientist.

They were in the greenhouse on a picnic blanket Wang got to snatch. Here in the greenhouse was where they would hold of Aerith's "tutoring". It was safe to say that it felt a bit degrading sometimes when they have these meetings. Yeah, it was for her own good and Wang would always try and make it feel like it was just a trivia factor over a cup of tea and a tray of biscuits, although Wang always drinks coffee and finish most of the biscuits. They only had 20 minutes left before Wang had to act like a strict homeschool teacher rather than his goofy old self.

Wang had an agreement with List on the first day of their meetings all those months ago. The agreement was 40 minutes of no surveillance, so for the remaining 10 minutes of their meeting in this day there was no one watching them. Nothing was being recorded unless it is on Wang's report. The activities of their meetings would be their little secrets. Wang wasn't really allowed to be this carefree around his patients. There were days where the whole 40 minutes were spent with Wang ranting about List, Strucker, and the whole HYDRA. Some of them were the maintenance of the bathroom. Only God knows what happened to the bathroom sometimes the plumbing was destroyed.

Right now at this moment, they were having snowmen decorated cookies and cups of eggnog and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

"So, that's why Santa always knows if you had been naughty or nice." He finished answering Aerith's question of how Santa Claus knows who had been naughty or nice.

Aerith sipped her cup of hot chocolate, nearly burning her tongue. Wang had spent 10 minutes explaining the schematics of Santa Claus' appearance, reindeers, presents, sleigh, elves, the traditions of placing a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for him, and the prospect of him using the chimney as a porthole for entering and escaping.

"Why would parents tell this to their children?" Aerith asked.

Wang looked taken aback by her question. "Because Santa is a symbol of Christmas, a story of a man who—"

"Stalks children every year and sends them treats by breaking and entering in their houses through their chimneys." Aerith interrupted his sentence, looking at Wang's shocked face.

"Since when have you thought so cynically?" he asked.

Aerith shrugged, "Since last Tuesday when you turned in sick with colds and surprisingly List took over."

"List took over?" he asked urgently, almost spitting his eggnog out.

"Believe it or not, he's a fairly good teacher."

Wang inched closer, not caring if his glass of eggnog was already spilling. "What did he teach about?"

"The properties of how Christmas is a hoax made by the Catholic Church." Aerith simply said, sipping her hot chocolate again.

"Why?"

"Because Jesus' birthday was somewhere in the fall and they only moved it in December to steal the winter solstice from the pagans. And that Santa is an anagram of Satan."

Wang's jaw dropped in shock to think that only three days of him being absent and one day with List's teaching would turn Aerith so cynically towards one of his beloved holidays.

"Yeah, remind me never to be absent again."

"It has been duly noted." She said before smiling at Wang's face. "Fancy another snowman?"

Wang nodded vigorously, downing the last drop of eggnog. Aerith placed her teacup down on its saucer and lifted her hand up. Vines appeared crawling their way to them, and entwined themselves under the plates of biscuits, forming a table for it as it approached an impressed Wang.

"Ooh! Don't mind if I do." He grabbed the last biscuit and nibbled on it almost resembling a gerbil. "I see your powers had been improving."

"Yeah." Aerith said, smiling widely.

It was obvious that she was proud of her progress and he couldn't blame her if she did since he was too. All of her progress was thanks to some training and advice from his favorite mangas and shows.

 _"_ _Just breath, concentrate on the things around you." Wang called out, sitting on the ground as he watched Aerith sat on top of a large stone in the middle of the pond._

 _"_ _This is ridiculous!" Aerith said, adjusting in her seat._

 _In that week's training, Wang proposed that Aerith should try summoning the elements again. The redhead sat with her legs tucked beneath her. Today, they were trying to manipulate water again which seemed to be harder that it seemed. Aerith's breaths became measured and deep as she just felt the energy of nature around her._

 _Wang watched amazed as tiny drops emerged from the pond, floating slowly upwards like it was raining upside down. He touched a water drop and watched as it still coils upwards. Out of his excitement, he released laughed loudly, making Aerith lose her focus. Within a second the drops imploded like water balloons. It sprayed everywhere, getting both Aerith and Wang's clothes damp._

 _"_ _Yeah, remind me never to do that again." Wang said, standing awkwardly._

* * *

It had been 3 days since the meeting in the greenhouse. Christmas was soon approaching. Wang sat on his desk, playing with his action figures. As a simple treat, Wang wanted to give them something special, a present for all three. Maybe he'll give Pietro some trainers or something, Wanda maybe a red necklace. Aerith was already something he already planned for. The problem was despite it being the holidays HYDRA wasn't a normal job wherein you can have a Christmas break. Hell, Wang can't even send a Merry Christmas to his sister. So, he was stuck in a cold and dark castle ruled by a megalomaniac bastard that is Strucker and List as his bitch.

Wang sighed as he looked at his action figure of Spock. Regardless of that, he still wanted to do something special for them. He looked straight in front of him and saw that beyond the one-sided mirror that was their cell, Pietro was asleep for once and Wanda and Aerith were playing a modified ping pong game on the floor. They have been going at it for hours, and there were times where the ball would it the wall—or Pietro. Wang was glad that the two girls were more comfortably interacting especially in helping each other out.

With their modified ping pong game, Wanda was able to control more of her telekinesis. She's more fluid in her actions now, knowing how to control the amount of energy she releases. For Aerith's part, she was progressing in the elemental part of her powers much more clean than last time. There was no exploding water drops, accidental fires, and tornadoes. She was able to use earth, fire, water, and wind in the process of their game. Her communication with plants had much improved to an extent that Wang discovered Aerith could talk to animals.

It was interesting discovery that included a lost wiener dog that crawled through a hole in the greenhouse, and a series of unfortunate events. To be honest that situation almost got him in trouble and at the sight of the line of fire if that dog had not wandered off and stole List's glasses and then licking them and burying it in a hole in Aerith's greenhouse near the golden chain tree. Eventually the dog was found and shot to death by Strucker since the dog had crept inside Strucker's room and stole his shoes and burying them besides List's glasses. It turned out that before the dog's demise it had stolen a fair amount of things from a lot of HYDRA agents. And those is being summarized into shoes, guns, glasses, shirts, socks, jackets, tokens, wallets, and –in a fair surprising way - porn magazines.

Wang smiled wistfully at the face of Strucker when he had discovered a porn magazine with a busty Asian woman at the front cover. By going back to his original thoughts, what could he do to them?

Tis were the season to be jolly, not to be caged and locked inside. Looking at the cell again, an idea popped into mind. It was obvious that they could not have a secret Christmas party in their cell since anyone could be watching them. Paddington was a permitted thing because he lied about it, but a Christmas party was something he could cover up so easily. Surely, they can't come out with additional security. So, what is another place that all three can be allowed to go that List won't be able to suspect and enter?

Aerith's Greenhouse. It was brilliant! The Maximoff twins were practically digging out information from Aerith and him just to know where he takes the redhead in most days. Wang had already clarified the tutoring part since they do it nowadays in the cell, but the greenhouse was something that he knows had been something itching in their minds to know about. And they could have a picnic!

Wang thought long and hard about what to do until he was in front of List's desk, grabbing a pew. List was reading a report that he had given him. It sounded nicer in his head when he figured he should give a report, so it doesn't he has an ulterior motive.

As usual, List scanned through his report finding the three specimen's relationship growing rather interesting. When List told Wang that he could go, he stayed on his seat, prepared on the things he would say. List looked up at Wang through the rim of his glasses.

"What are you still doing here, Dr. Wang?"

Wang cleared his throat rather nervously. "I…um…propose it isn't a bad idea if…erm…you let the Maximoff twins in the greenhouse." He glanced at the stoic face of his senior scientist.

The expression on his face was something that always troubled Wang since it intimidating and unpredictable. List hummed in thought with his eyes boring into his. His put the folder down and crossed his arms.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"I-I just think that the Maximoff twins needed anew scenery." Wang blurted nervously. "Pietro he…um…needs more space to run in order to exercise more of his limbs. A-And Wanda can't squander around in that cell." He looked at List's hypercritical gaze, gulping at the sight of it. "It will only be for the exact same time as Aerith's meeting."

A couple of minutes passed, feeling like it was an eternity. Wang liked thinking optimistically, but this was one of the moments of his life where he can only think so pessimistically. Finally, List gave out a reaction. The senior scientist sighed.

"Only for 1 hour."

Wang nearly jumped when he heard about it, but he restrained himself, knowing that maybe List would be suspicious about it. He stood up and said as stoically as possible a curt thank you. List only nodded back and in slow measured steps he exited the room before breaking off into a happy sprint back to his desk.

* * *

Pietro raced around the room in the silver blur he was with Wanda floating about any object that she could find. Aerith was gone to only God knows where. Until now, Wang or Aerith had not told them about it. It did spark a bit of suspicion, but wherever it was it was a place they weren't allowed to know about. There were plenty of times Pietro had tried to discreetly interrogate Aerith, but to no avail. There was no much luck with Wanda since she still can't read her mind (not that she wants to) and with Wang, he still eludes her. Nowadays the things he thinks about involves a butler and some kid with blue hair and an eye patch. Another one was a bunch of colorful people who were called by names of countries; a memorable one was an enthusiastic one who kept on yelling, _Pasta! Pasta!_ And another two were blonde, but the other had very thick eyebrows and the other with a teddy bear he couldn't remember what his name is.

It was only last week that Wang had informed her about the cartoons in his head. Apparently, they were something he called anime which was not a cartoon. It didn't make much sense to Wanda, but it was clear that Wang had a burning passion for it.

In the midst of her thoughts the door opened and Wang went in almost crossing paths with Pietro if the silver speedster had not noticed it, but the doctor still released a small shriek. From the weeks that Wanda had come to know the doctor, she was getting more and more convinced at Wang was not a spy for Strucker and List. Just look at the man, he was as harmless as a piece of chalk.

"Did I scare you, old man?" Pietro asked, standing in front of the doctor, who sighed exasperatedly.

"When will you quit calling me old man?" he asked, irritated.

"When I die," Pietro curtly said, looking behind through the open door expecting to see Aerith, but saw nothing. "Where is Aerith?"

The question was said in a bit of concern. Most of the time Wang would be here to return Aerith back to the cell, but she was nowhere to be found. Pietro was most definitely concerned.

"Wang, what happened?" Wanda asked, standing next to her brother.

Wang looked at the both of them before smiling widely. "Follow me." He stepped out of room.

The twins looked at each other with uncertain looks before they stepped outside for the first time in a long while. There were guards around Wang neither hostile nor gentle. This was worrying for the twins, seeing the sight of them. What was Wang up to? Was Wanda wrong to think he was actually a friend?

Wang turned his backs from them and started walking. When the twins made no move to follow, one guard pushed them in front of him. It was obvious that Pietro was thinking of throttling Wang. Because that's what it looked, didn't it? Wang was betraying them, right? That's what Pietro thought, but Wanda knew better. This wasn't the kind of thing Wang would do unless he was forced to. For now Wanda wasn't going to assume anything.

One thing was certain Wang was ecstatic especially when they had reached the doors to the greenhouse. It was clear as day when he started shaking in anticipation like a little child, although it seemed not to bode well for Pietro at all. As the same as usual two bulky guards turn the wheel and this screeching sound when it turns and opens. Wang stepped inside with the hesitant twins behind him. It was a bit dark inside considering it was already night. The light they had been from lanterns hung from their posts. It was obvious that the Maximoff twins were confused by their surroundings of luscious green—well violet really when you think about it, probably even amazed about how much color there is in such a grey and gloomy place as the base.

It was huge compared to their cell, all filled with plants of all kinds. They stood on the stone pavement leading somewhere they cannot see. Wang noticed at the plants had been growing taller since last time, maybe Aerith did some redecorating. The door behind them closed with the loud sound it always makes. It was loud enough for both of the twins to jump into action, but when they noticed it was just the door closing. Without waiting for them, the doctor skipped down the stone pavements with Pietro appearing just a step behind him and Wanda besides her brother.

"What is this place?" Wanda asked, looking around and admiring the hedges of flowers and vines.

"This is called the 'Greenhouse'." Wang promptly answered. "You asked me both –a couple of times- where I would take Aerith in some days. And this is the place."

She looked above to see it was already dark and the stars were shined down above them. She had never seen so many stars in her life. They were gathered together like they were watching them in their glorious brightness; even Pietro looked up to admire them. It was a bit surreal to think that a place they call their prison would have such a place like this. The path they took was lit with yellow light from lanterns. What was really amazing what this was that the posts and lanterns were made from vines and wood combine. And the lights were fireflies. They weren't trapped inside the lantern they huddle together and some go and explore, but were replaced by others. Truly it was amazing to witness such beauty. Although, a question kept buggering Wanda's mind,

"Why was this built and what for?"

"Well, when Aerith first developed her powers, List was trying to figure out how she would develop them. Unlike you two, Aerith needed a substantial place for her to discover more of her powers. They couldn't risk it with her cell because of…well security reasons. So, List –with Strucker's permission- built the greenhouse. Like the cell, it had electromagnetic radiation barriers and etcetera for her to keep her powers from getting out.

The metal is actually Vibratium, strongest metal in the planet, nothing can get past it. The glass on the walls is laced with the same barriers and is still one sided mirrors. When you actually go to the sides of the greenhouse, you would think that there are actually plants on them right? That's actually a no. Any plant near it is far enough for it not to be reached, but near enough for it to make you think that it's part of the wall. The glass above is well windows, they couldn't apply the one sided mirror there because –for obvious reasons- the sunlight couldn't go through. So they stuck with normal glass yet it is strong still." He finished explaining.

"Why are there no guards inside? And security cameras?" Pietro asked, looking round suspecting to find a cloaked HYDRA agent and some hidden camera, but there were none.

"There used to be, but when the plants grew and amassed it was proven too difficult and dangerous to scout the area. Strucker thought that because of the greenhouse that maybe Aerith would use it as an advantage to lead the guards astray with her powers. I mean, I can't deny it. This place is like a forest now, and even maybe a labyrinth. As for the cameras, there is a bit of surveillance, but not everywhere. Strucker thought it wasn't safe for it because the plants might block the footage for destroy it, so in place of the standard CCTV cameras, this place has thermal sensors so they would know where Aerith is." Wang stopped in his tracks and turned to face them. In a hush tone, he said to them, "I never told anyone this, but the plants can hide her from the sensors."

"Strucker or List doesn't know about it." Wanda confirmed.

"Well, Aerith needed just one little secret."

With that, Wang turned around again and continued on his journey. They turned around a corner to see a sea of wildflowers crowned with lights from the fireflies. Wang stopped for a moment to admire the view. Beyond that was a small bridge over the pond that later evolved into a river with water lilies surrounding the tiny land that had perched a golden chain tree and a bed of lilies. It was no secret –to at least Wang- that Aerith loved lilies even the poisonous kind. The tree was lighted enchantingly; making him think was like a home for fairies. The some wildflowers glowed mystically. Aerith had a knack of making glowing flowers such as the flowers around them as of now. This was like a scene from a fairy tale with magic in the air. Well, it wasn't really making it was enhanced mutation, but it was good enough for him.

"Aerith!" Wang heard Pietro yell.

A blur of silver ran passed him and through the sea of wildflowers and right on the bed of lilies. Wanda and Wang didn't know what was happening until Pietro had within his arms a bundle of red hair. At the sight of it, the both of them ran towards Pietro. They drew closer to Pietro kneeling on the bed of lilies under the shade of the golden chain tree, holding Aerith in his arms.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he realized that she was sound asleep.

"Don't worry she's just asleep." He reassured them.

She must have waited long for them and grew tired. It was honestly weird to see her not in her normal grey clothes. Instead was this silver dress that reached until her ankles. It looked like the dress she wore when she first came to the base. Looking her peaceful face now, she reminded him of a princess of sorts. The dress was fluid looking as if it was made by some water.

Behind him were the voice of Wang and Wanda discussing a manner of things, but cared not. Pietro held Aerith a while longer, lifting a hand to brush a lock of her red hair out of her face. Absentmindedly, he ran his thumb across her cheek, feeling the touch under his calloused skin. She felt him snuggle closer to him with her eyebrows scrunching in the way he liked it so. He looked at her, unable to take his eyes from her. She was just so…he cannot find the words to describe it. _Beautiful_ cannot suffice the beauty he perceives before him. The soft and shiny silver fabric of dress gave her porcelain skin a little glow and with lights of the fireflies and the tree, it made her look so ethereal like she was a lady clothed in starlight from a world far, far away from him, a place where the bright light of forever shone to the outreaches of the world. She was like dream to him, so close but ever so far.

He did not know why he thought of such thoughts like these. He cannot deny that such things had crossed his mind before, but for it to linger was something he perceived to be odd. Many women he had been with, but none had giving him the same feeling that Aerith had given.

There was a groan and it had seemed that he had awakened her from her slumber. With sleepy eyes, she blinked open to meet with his electric blue eyes. Pietro seemed lost in the sight of her eyes. Why had he not noticed it before?

The moment was soon broken with Aerith, blinking to her surroundings and sitting up hastily. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. Pietro graced her with one of his signature smiles. "No problem."

Aerith looked away from him in order for him not to see her blush. Pietro stood up, holding out a hand in front of her. The redhead looked at it and slowly she held his hand. And with one swift movement, Aerith was on her feet, although she stumbled, but Pietro caught her with his other hand on her waist. The looked at each other and had noticed the closeness they both shared.

"Ahem." Wang cleared his throat. "Please let go of her."

Within a second, they parted with Aerith looking away and trying to pay attention to Wang. Pietro did as well, trying something else as interesting.

"Okay, let's get this party started!" Wang announced with the clapped of his hands.

The rest of the hour they spent it with exploring the greenhouse, talking, and trying to catch butterflies. It was of pure enjoyment and the best thing they could have in a Christmas in this place. They need not gifts, snow, cookies, and Santa Claus. They only needed each other. That was when they realized that they were the only family they had left. Wang was something of an exception with their odd family, but here they were. The whole entire time Pietro never looked at her, and yet, the careful avoidance of his eyes betokened that in some way he knew exactly, if they fall by chance, they would rest on her.

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 _Please review!_


	9. Can't Pretend

_A/N: Happy New Year! So long 2015 and say hello to 2016. Here is a brand new chapter for all of you. Don't forget to review._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

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Wang stared at the cell in front of him with his chin on his arms. Flower girl and the twins were conversing with each other, laughing and smiling. A sad smile graced his features, watching them. It was already the New Year, weeks since their little Christmas gathering in the greenhouse. After much talk and persuasion, Strucker had agreed upon letting the Maximoff twins train also in the greenhouse. Ever since that day it had felt like they had made a brand new bond that strengthen each day…a bond that might have been severed for him. List had caught him, eating chocolate with them and he had received bit of reprimanding. The doctor cringed remembered what happened.

" _Wait, watch this!" Wang said, throwing a milk chocolate Hershey kiss in the air._

 _Aerith squealed as the doctor open his mouth to catch it, but Pietro beaten him to it. Pietro caught the chocolate kiss and ate it in front of an exasperated Wang with a smirk._

" _Sorry, were you going to get that?" Pietro said teasingly to Wang._

 _Aerith and Wanda laughed, eating their own chocolate kisses, and Pietro joining them soon afterwards. The tips of Wang's mouth quirked and soon he chuckled._

" _Well played, Pietro. Well played."_

 _The laughs grew louder, but they soon faded when the door opened and List emerged from the door with an angry face. Wang shot up to his feet, letting his bag of Hershey chocolates fall on the ground._

" _Sir!" Wang said, surprised._

 _List looked at him and back to the three enhanced with an unreadable look. Pietro was on his feet just ready to move if the scientist would do anything to endanger anyone of them. Wanda's hands were ready and so was Aerith. Wang stood nervously. The gig seemed to be up. At this point, List would know that he lied to him. Without much of another breath, List turned around going out of the room._

 _Wang followed after him, not before Aerith grabbed his wrist worryingly. "What will he do to you?"_

" _Don't worry I'll be fine." Wang said to her reassuringly. "Don't you trust me?" he smiled at her._

 _Aerith smiled back at him, but worry still held her heart._

" _Dr. Wang!" List called out from the other side._

 _With that Aerith lets him go and Wang walked out of the room, dreading what could be ahead. The door behind automatically closed and List stood in front of him, crossed._

" _I have told you. I have reminded you many times_ _not_ _to get too attached to them!" List calmly vented out to him._

 _List was doing well with containing the anger and the disappointed he felt upon the discovery. Wang cringed in every moment; it was like being at home when he was a child. His father would punish him severely and without mercy if he ever disobeyed him._

" _Listen to me, David." List said, calling his attention._

 _Wang looked up guiltily at the senior scientist in front of him._

" _They are not your friends. You are not their friend. You were assigned to them to make sure that there would be no tragic aftermath to their powers. You were assigned to teach Ms. Jude_ _our_ _ways. To become a weapon of ours! Not to spoil her and introduce her to stupid things like this!" List scolded, pushing all of his collectibles and books off his desk, making them clatter on the ground._

 _Wang looked away from the sight of his precious on the ground. There was anger inside him that boiled. Just because he was a HYDRA agent didn't mean he agree on their ideals. He was just forced into this fucking nuthouse. He wanted to an animator. To bring to life the works he had in his mind! To bring forth the power of the imagination, so people can see what he sees. That was what he wanted to be, but nooooo~! It wasn't want daddy wanted for him._

 _The doctor inhaled deeply, controlling his anger and his father issues. This wasn't the problem right now._

" _You will stop this! You are getting to close to them." List said to him, walking towards, not noticing he was stepping on his Attack on Titan figurines. Poor Levi had his head stepped on. "For now on, you will not enter that cell without my say so. And I will be the one to escort Ms. Jude to the greenhouse and her lessons will stop this instant! It had been agreed upon by Strucker to let the twins train with Aerith in the greenhouse. You will not speak to them unless you are allowed to by me."_

 _Wang's mouth opened to protest, but what came out was a small and audible yes._

 _List seemed to be pleased by his response and cleared his throat. "So, where is that report?"_

 _Remembering about that, he ushered over to his desk and pulled out a folder and gave it to List. The scientist opened it and skimmed through the pages of calculations and diagrams. Wang watched List did so, resisting the urge to punch his condescending face back to Hell. He was looking through the latest calculations and results of Aerith's powers. He heard the senior scientist hummed in delight._

" _Thank you, Dr. Wang. It seems we have a naturakinetic in our hands." List said, closing the folder and walking out the door._

Wang snapped out of his reverie and groaned, burying his face on his arms. He hoped and prayed this New Year would have gone smoothly as he planned it, but it seemed fate deemed it not too. He didn't know if he could ever ignore the three of them. The past few weeks had been horrible to contemplate. List was now teaching Aerith 'their' ways in which included some combat training. It broke him to see her look so scared and confused when he wouldn't look at her. It broke him more when he heard her called out his name as she was dragged down the corridor by two guards. He couldn't shake out the look of her terrified look and her desperate screams of his name. Wang had to leave the room just so List, Strucker, or anyone else could see the tears that ran down his face.

Maybe this was for the best, but it didn't make any sense. He's been feeling pretty small, and he felt like he was slipping down walls. And every façade he tries to hold just seems to break. He lifted his head and watched the three of them again. Pietro was rather too close to Aerith for his liking, but it didn't matter now, right? He wouldn't be able to go in there anymore.

There was a sharp pain from his chest and he banged his head on his table again in defeat. Maybe he'll just get drunk and it will all make sense. Maybe if he weren't so nice, he could convince himself that they were nothing. He could promise that his heart doesn't cry, but would it all make sense?

He banged his head on the table repeatedly making it rumble. His things were still there, looking at them, he estimated that it would take a large of money to restore all the damages that might have been done. For the first time of his life his fandoms and anime won't help him now. It couldn't let him escape reality. No, he was stuck in this cold realism that is his life.

He dared imagine the bruises and injuries Aerith would have gotten from the training; even the twins. He found out that it won't be only Aerith that was going to be trained, but also the twins. Imagining them all being beat up in a pulp won't let him have a good rest for the night.

At least, he was alive. When Strucker found out about it, he wanted to execute him and make the three patients watch as his brains decorated the white snow. List had –surprisingly- saved him, saying that if he kills him then they would have lost an asset. Until now Wang didn't understand why he was an asset to this bat-shit crazy place. Perhaps it would remain a mystery to him.

He pulled himself up from his depressed state and took the table List had given him. As he fiddled it, an idea came to him. If was stuck here in his life with HYDRA, but it didn't mean they have to be. Thinking about it, it was possible for him break through their firewalls and send a message to someone who can help. Yes! Yes! That was it!

He needed to get them out of this hellhole. And if Strucker catches him he doesn't fucking care anymore. HYDRA could kill him if they fucking want to, but he needed to get the three of them out.

Why does he care? Because they were his friends and he wasn't about to see them be tortured by Strucker anymore. He didn't care about all the signs and proof that was staring right at him. He could save them by contacting within the last few agents that are still true to SHIELD. Thank god! He was an undercover SHIELD agent before. Barton wouldn't stand for this, and so won't Romanoff.

Wang just hoped they would believe him even after all the whole HYDRA problem. He remembered being close with the two assassins. They were good people. They had the means to rescue Aerith, Wanda, and Pietro. It didn't matter to him if he does die as long as they were safe and that was okay for him.

The good doctor tried his best to hack into their systems, but without the correct ID card, the correct code, and the right fingerprint he couldn't open it. _NO ACCESS_ on the screen in bright red. Wang wanted to throw the tablet at the taunting one-sided mirror, so he could break the glass and get them the fuck out of here, but instead he tossed the tablet back on his desk, letting it collide with the rest of his stuff with frustration. He slumped back to his chair with a groan. He needed another way of contacting people. Wait—

An idea hit him. He went towards his backpack and opened to find his electric pen. If he can't access the firewalls, he could always get his tracker chip working. Without a second thought, he pushed the tip of the electric pen to his neck and cursed aloud as he felt the electric current go through him.

Just in case you were wondering why he did that, he did it because there was a tracking chip implanted on the base of his skull. It's crazy, right?

His father was always crazy. He got the chip when he was 16 and ran away from home. And when the police found him and returned him to his father, dear daddy had implanted the chip as a precautionary measure. He got his mirror and checked the back of his neck. It was glowing green which meant it was on and second later the glow faded until there no remnant of his doings. The tracker chip sends out a pattern of electromagnetic waves that can only be received by his father's phone which is now on the company of his dear beloved sister, who in fact married a legit SHIELD agent and is good friends with Clint. He just hopes Leia would get it soon.

Wang stood feeling his neck vibrating softly and feeling stiff. He stretched awkwardly, but was interrupted with List walking in the laboratory catching him in a weird position. List just raised his brow, ignoring that he just saw what he did.

"Wang, it's late. Do to sleep."

The good doctor sneaked a glance at the cell and didn't notice that Aerith and the twins were already asleep.

"Yes, sir." He responded, getting his stuff and walking out the laboratory.

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Aerith couldn't stop crying in her sleep. She managed to hide her misery from the world—well except for Wanda. Probably Pietro too, but she couldn't be sure. Her pillow was soaking wet as she tried to smother out her sobs. She did it as quietly as possible, making sure she didn't wake the twins.

Maybe it was a bit petty to cry over things such as this. Wang said so himself that one day he would leave her, but he didn't have to go this soon. Closing her eyes, she tried to find peace in the deep abyss with her dreams, but it was like all her fears came back to her in a wave of anger. She clutched her blanket tight, dreaming of Sera's betrayal. She may have not mentioned it quite often nor did she tell that particular story to the twins, but even with a year trying to cope with it, it still haunted her. It still hurts. The shrill realism of the one person she trusted the most besides Wang had tried to kill her. Aerith made all kinds of excuses in her mind to hide the truth from herself.

Despite having the twins by her side, she couldn't help but feel so alone. She curled up into a ball as her dreams did not give her any justice. She trembled and sobbed as the fires burned through the houses, burning people alive, flashed into her mind.

 _She was amidst a wintery plain surrounded by the burning cottages and the fleeing people. The people were everywhere and so were their screams; she walked around the catastrophe that went on. So much wanton death was dealt this moment. The fire everywhere was like dragon fire casted out into the sky. She stared in horror at the corpses the lie dead at her feet. Most were children, which could have only reach until her waist, decapitated and desecrated by their murderers. No child should ever suffer this fate. And parent should have to bury their child._

 _In the glow of the fires, she found herself looking at a particular shade golden hair underneath the pile of corpses. It belonged to a little girl no more than five. Without hesitant or a second thought, she fell to her knees and dug through the corpses, pushing them off the small and thin body of the girl._

" _No, no, no, no." she whispered shakily to herself._

 _Once the girl's body was clear of any other corpse, Aerith pulled her into her lap. She sobbed at the first of it. The girl's eyes were open displaying no sight of life. Her white porcelain skin marred with nasty gashes and ashes. The golden hair upon her head glowed eerily in the darkness that had come upon them. Lifting a hand, she brushed her locks away from her face._

 _Aerith didn't know why she felt this much for a mere stranger. Maybe she did know her in another time before her incarceration. All she could now was weep as the grief washes over her senses like the waves of a raging storm. She clutched the girl tight in an embrace of that of a mother with her child. Resting her head on hers, she hummed a sad and melancholic tune. She did not remember the words, but it mattered not. There were shouts and footsteps from behind her, but it mattered not. If it was an attacker, let her be struck down, mighty and true._

 _She felt a hands grip her upper arms, pulling her away from the girl._

" _No! Get away from me!" she shouted and cried, not willing to be separated from her._

A tortured scream awakened Wanda from her slumber. He sat up, looking around the room for any threats. There were mutters and thrashing sounds from below her. Feminine mumbles could be heard and she looked down. Pietro's bed was empty and so was Aerith. There were two hunched figures at one side of Aerith's bed. The mumbles were mixed with mutters from a man. She climbed down the top bunk. She went over to the other side of the bed to see Pietro sitting on the floor, holding a frantic Aerith in her sleep. Pietro muttered soft encouragements in her ear and slowly she calmed down, clinging to Pietro's chest.

This was the worse one yet. Both of them knew that the dreams were worsening each night she spent here, even if Aerith wouldn't confide in them with it. But both knew. How couldn't they? It troubled Wanda to hear her cry in her sleep, calling out for someone she did not know.

Wanda moved closer. She almost stepped on the broken remnants of some knickknack Wang gave her was on the floor, and the blanket was lying on the floor. She looked at Aerith more closely to see the red marks on her skin. Did someone come in and hurt her?

"She hurt herself." Pietro said, as he continued to calm her down. When Pietro woke she was yelling for help with tears were raining down her cheeks. She was yelling for someone to stop. She then started clawing herself as if she was trying to put something out.

Aerith woke up to find the warmth of strong arms and whispers of care. She didn't open her eyes and knew who it was. It was Pietro. She needed this right now, a reassuring embrace to help her take it all out, a hug from someone that cares. She felt safe in his arms, knowing she could trust him. Slowly, she slipped again through a quiet slumber with her clinging on to him.

Pietro carefully lifted her up and carried her to her bed, lying her down in a comfortable position. Wanda assembled the pillows and placed it beneath her head. And she got her blanket and dusted the dirt off. The silver speedster tucked her in, and gingerly he brushed her red locks away from her face. His hand remained on her soft and warm cheeks, staring at her sleeping form stirred something inside him, something he never felt before. And soon with a nod from Wanda, his hand left her face.

"You should go back to sleep." He told Wanda.

Looking into her brother's eyes, there was no way to refuse the offer. She was tired and knew Aerith was in good hands, but the weight of her subconscious did not agree and yet she obeyed. She climbed up into her bed and went back to sleep.

Pietro was about to leave Aerith's side when a hand grabbed his hand. Pietro looked at the sleeping Aerith, her eyes were still closed and her hand enveloped his perfectly. Her hands were calloused yet soft and he held it gently, not wanting to let her hand go.

Aerith's lips parted and she said to him, "Good night."

Her hand left his that made him feel the coldness where the warmth of her hand used to be. Pietro's lips twitched to a smile, and he said to her "Good night." As he left her side, going back to bed, letting her dream of sweeter things.

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 _Please review :)_


	10. The Great Escape

_A/N: Yeah, sorry! It's been so long since I updated. School stuff and my personal life had kinda mixed up and turned into some kind shitty mutant that's about to kill me. Plus the fact that I had to live without a computer for a month and a half. (Trust me its hell). So, I'm back and I hope this chapter is good and you enjoy it._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

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It has been weeks since that day and Wang knew not what to expect. He sat on his desk, working on bypassing the security files. He held back a frustrated sigh as he failed again. The security in this place was giving him a headache. He gingerly touched the back of his neck. Wang didn't even know if the tracker was even working but at least he got his phone to emit just small distress waves. He just hoped it would reach them in time before he got caught. It was already late at night, and he looked ahead to see the three of them, sleeping soundly in their own perspective beds. He sighed as he packed up his things and hid his phone in a hollow pipe too to noticed and isolated.

The scientist slumped back into his seat watching the dark cell of his three enhanced friends. They slept comfortable in their sleep. It had been long since he had interacted or had actually seen them nowadays. For all he knew, their hairs grew longer than before or had been cut. He wasn't allowed anymore to guard them during the day, but only at night. Wang was mostly assigned for other projects that included the maintenance of the electric barrier around the city.

He internally laughed at himself. Wang remembered Aerith's face when she found out there was a huge city below. Apparently, Aerith had never seen a city before. And despite the bleak and ruined disposition of it, she was entranced and amazed by it. Of course, this caught the attention of the twins and has indeed shared their dreams of protecting their country. That's when Aerith really felt for the two of them. And from the little time Wang had spent in SHIELD, he was reminded of Steve Rogers. If he was close with Clint and Nat, it's practically a given to meet the Captain America at one point in time. The scientist had to admit that he may have squealed when he saw him. Then again, He and Coulson shared the same (sort of) obsession except Coulson was the #1 fan to which he came out second.

Steve, if the super solider was here, would be the only one that would understand where these two kids came from. Of course, the reasons of both parties are indeed different since during Steve's time they were in a war. And in war, we all make some hard choices that we are not proud of. In war everything was permitted, and Steve did the right thing because he was doing it for the right cause. It must have seemed to some people that what the super solider did was to protect his country and to save people and to make a difference, but these two kids have no excuse for volunteering to these scientists.

That's when they are wrong. For most Americans, the war was something ugly that their grandparents had to deal with, something in the distant past that left a mark but is also behind them, but just because there hasn't been a war in America for over 70 years didn't mean that other countries had been so lucky.

And Wang knew that Steve would get that more than he or Aerith will ever know.

He sighed, looking at the ceiling in quiet thought. This was one of the moments in his life were he regretted everything. Never for a second did he regret trying to contact the Avengers here. He was not afraid of death…at least his death.

Wang yawned and stretched out of his chair, deciding he needed a long nice rest before the sun would come up. He got up and walked through the empty halls. When he first was assigned here, God knows he was afraid of wandering here at night. It was like a stage to a horrific anime. Any given moment maybe a Ghoul would just come out at him and eat him alive. Or Light Kagami was actually real and had heard of his name, and decided that he would die using the death note.

There many worst scenarios he could think of, but for the most part they were irrational. It wasn't like a 6 meter Titan would smash his head on the side of the wall, looking at him intently before he would snatch and eat him…or much worse tear him in half then eat him. At least you can predict the actions of a normal Titan, but an Aberrant, just no, nope, he's dead. And that's what Strucker was like to him right now. He's an aberrant. There was no knowing what the guy was up and what he was thinking. List was still the average normal titan, so the scientist was a bit easy to read.

He arrived in front of his dorm and got inside his dark room, not bothering to open the lights. There was a rumble of metal hitting metal, and he stood frozen in place. The hairs at the back of his neck stood. Someone was here in the darkness. He stumbled getting the closest thing to him. Once he felt its hilt he half upright and to his chest. Wang held it like it was a katana with his two hands relaxed on its handle. Wang didn't know what he was doing he was American-Chinese not Japanese, but taking lesson from that (albeit) horrible Wolverine movie (the one set in Japan) kinda helped, and of course many number of anime. God knows he won't be able to do that kind of amazing shit and, of course, he won't shout his next move.

He was holding a lightsaber, so it was reasonable; lightsaber was a bit close to a katana. If only he was in Star Wars he would actually know how to do this shit. And if he was Japanese, he would have excelled and probably chose to be a ninja or a samurai or probably a ninja assassin rather than a fucking HYDRA agent.

Suddenly, someone lunged at him from behind, gagging him with some white cloth. Wang had luckily stomped on the agent's foot and head butted him at the back he muttered an apology. The cloth fell harmlessly on the floor, but then the lights opened and he saw five more guys around him. They looked angry and indeed were professionals. A tall bulky one was behind him. Wang knew that guy. He offered him a turkey sandwich a few months ago and was also almost beaten to a pulp when he didn't realize that he was a vegetarian. Wang gulped, clutching the lightsaber. There were two in front of him. At his left was short but taller than him with a bald head. And the one at his right was Hispanic and tall as fuck. The two behind him and besides the huge vegetarian bulky guy was something he'd not want to see but nicknamed them the uglies.

The one at his left, Baldy, drew his gun and aimed at him. In a terrified and high-pitched scream of alarm, Wang pushed his arm from him, enabling the bullet to hit Ugly #2 behind him to his right dead in the centre of his chest. Ugly #2 before he was hit had enough time to pull the trigger and had actually hit Baldy when Wang whacked the tip of his lightsaber and Baldy was in line of sight. The huge vegetarian that was behind him wrapped his arms around his torso; Wang released his gripped on the lightsaber and another scream of fear as he was then spun around. H.T.F.D. (Hispanic Tall as Fuck Dude) was going to shoot him when because of H.V.B.G. (Huge Vegetarian Bulky Guy)'s spinning. Wang's foot collided with H.T.F.D.'s face, smacking him to the floor.

Ugly #1 ducked down missing the leg spin. And when H.V.B.G. sets him back on the floor because of the lack of momentum and tiredness, Wang accidentally head-butted him with the back of his head, smacking it straight on his nose.

H.V.B.G. cried out in pain with the collision, leaving his grasp on Wang to hold his face. Wang had apologized.

"I'm sorry!" he said in genuine apologetic tones.

Ugly #1 gained back his footing and shot at Wang, who had dodged and grabbed the nearest gun on the floor. He shot Ugly #1 on the chest as the scientist released a frighten scream. H.T.F.D grabbed Wang's shoulder spun him around, but the scientist had released another scared scream and accidentally pulled the trigger. He panted heavily going to open the door. Wang was not acclimatized to this shit. He knew held a gun in his life unless it was a toy gun or a gun controller.

The scientist tried to access what happened. This wasn't HYDRA's normal agents. These were brutes, probably even newbies from their lack of coordination, but why were they in his room?

He opened the door, but saw H.V.B.G. rise up from his the reflection of his mirror. Wang calmed his beating heart and the tried to put on his brave face. When he saw H.V.B.G. raise his gun, he spun around and slapped the gun upwards, letting the bullet from H.V.B.G.'s gun shot his lintel instead of his head. And with a moment's notice, Wang pulled the trigger and shot the big guy's gut. He ran from the scene with breathe perturbed breaths, seeing H.V.B.G. fall down to his knees.

Wang ran and ran through the halls in fear, but came to the most ironically safest place he knows. He went back into the lab, seeing the enhances' cell. He quickly typed the code. It had been weeks and was able to hack into the system and find out the real actual code. Before he activated it to get in he typed in a simple coding. The glass of the cell waved going back into its normal overview. It was a simple trick he found out while he tried to tinker with the system. The glass will the last image in imprints like a video, and that video was of the three enhances sleeping peacefully in their beds. He has a few hours before they realize something was wrong. He went inside the faintly lighted room to find all of them asleep.

The scientist didn't know how to wake them or approach them. He walked to Aerith first, seeing that she was the least dangerous to wake up. He looked at Aerith to see her twist and turn in her sleep. It seemed she was still having the nightmares, but, at least, a milder version. Wang took a deep breath and reached out a hand to poke her, and then suddenly something grabbed his wrist, leading him away from Aerith.

Wang's breath hitched in fear and his heart beaten faster.

"Don't touch her." The heavily accented voice warned.

The scientist knew that voice, but before he can reply he was suddenly flung to the other side of the room with a loud thump. He groaned and then the other two occupants woke up.

"Wang?" Wanda's voice broke out the silence.

Wang smiled widely as he sat up, giving them a peace sign. They looked at him in amazement, shock, gladness, and of course, wariness. There was always wariness with these people.

"I-I'm sorry for that." Pietro said, looking very surprise to see his friend.

Wang shrugged it off, feeling very happy to see them again.

"Why are you here?" Aerith asked in worry.

She had looked at his rough form taking in that he looked as if he was in a fight. This was something that all three had noticed. Wang's smile faded when he remembered why he was here. He had promise to never break down in from of them, but seemed that he was about to break that.

The scientist broke down in tears and sobbed in anguish, "I don't know!" He reached towards intending in to hug Aerith, but had accidentally hugged Pietro.

It was weird to find a sobbing Asian man hugging you with his head on your chest. And the thin layer of Pietro's shirt was becoming Wang's tissue. He found it awkward and of course shocking. Wang had always struck him to be goofy but controlled, but to see him as this sobbing man was unnerving. The scientist's arms with around his torso, clutching him tight; Pietro in return looked at both Wanda and Aerith for any advice. He knew that both were trying to hold back laughter at the scene, but the solemnness of this wasn't something fit for laughter, but it didn't stop Pietro from glaring at them.

Looking at this situation right now, Pietro returned the hug. No matter how awkward it was, it must at least give his friend a little comfort. Pietro had been with a lot of women and have always been in the company of his sister. When Wanda was feeling upset, he would hug her and they would talk. And right now, the situation was the same except that it was his sister it was a very emotional short man that had no problems hugging him.

"Wang, you shouldn't have come here." Wanda said carefully as if she was handling a fragile child. "They'll see you because of the wall.

"No they won't." Wang said, tearing his body away from Pietro.

Aerith quickly got a box of tissues and gave it to Wang. Wang gratefully accepted it and lifted his glasses up and to wipe his tears away.

Pietro looked at his short to see the centre to be wet of Wang's sweat and tears. This irked him a bit, but he walked it off.

"Why won't they see us?" Aerith gently asked him.

Wang sniffed. "Because I-I did a trick. A video of feedback of you guys sleeping, outside the glass."

Aerith watched him with pitiful eyes. And she grabbed his hand gently and dragged him to her bed. They sat down on the foot of the bed, facing each other. Pietro had opted to stand, watching from the side lines as he leans on the wooden post of the bunk bed. Wanda had taken the other unoccupied space next to Wang and patted him in the back.

"Why don't you tell us want happened?" Wanda suggested soothingly.

From this, Wang blurted everything he had done (except the Avengers part). He sniffed and sobbed as he continued on telling them everything (well, not everything). It went to the point that he started speaking about his father and the horrible things he did, the standard torture that was given to him with a whip or a stick if he had done something wrong. His father had never bothered to train his sister because he believed she just a fucking weakling, but it didn't stop him from disciplining her when she got out of hand. To Leia, father was just abuse and short tempered. She never thought for a moment that he was a HYDRA agent. Even mother didn't know! And nobody knew that dad that experimented on her every night and would dose her afterwards to make her forget. No wonder she had brain cancer!

And because he cried again until he had no more tears to shed. He felt pathetic and worthless just like what his father had always said. He wiped his tears away.

"But no more of that." He said more confidently. "We have to go."

All three enhanced looked at each other rather warily, but from the determined look on Wang's face it proved that he had a plan. The matter of what this plan is was still a mystery. From the pocket of his jacket, he got the map of the tunnels underneath the base pathways leading in and out of the city. He unfolded it and all three were amazed of what they saw. It was like a maze of twist and turns and dead ends. The map was old enough to be centuries old; full of memory.

"Where did you get this?" Pietro asked, walking towards them.

"I found it in my room when I was looking for a place to hang my…souvenirs..." he sheepishly admitted. "Anyways, there was a loose brick on the wall next to my bed and when I pulled it out I found this."

There was a route that had been lined in red. It was freshly marked by Wang himself. He found this map over his first weeks in the base, but never found a use for it so he kept it hidden and never reported it. It was a lengthy passage. He even scouted that passage himself. It was their only way out. So, he started explaining the plan.

The plan was to go to Aerith's Greenhouse where a door to one of the tunnel mainframes that would lead to different pathways, but if they followed the one to the centre they would have more speed to get out of the base. This particular tunnel leads into the city and if they just changed clothes they could sneak in there and blend in. The city is still not safe though. They have to sneak into the forest afterwards.

"We can pull this off." Wang finished.

The three enhanced looked at each other, pondering if they should cooperate. After a few minutes of silence Wanda spoke on their behalf, "what do we need?"

Wang grinned. "Don't worry. I've come prepared."

* * *

"Where did you get this, Wang?" Pietro asked as he wore a pair of simple Nike running shoes.

Wang zipped his jacket. "I go into town every so often using the tunnels. Where do you think I get all my stuff?"

"Didn't Strucker find that suspicious?"

"He did at first, but he looked my belongings and saw bunch of it and he just went along with the fact that I just have a lot of things." Wang said looking at himself in the one-sided mirror. Apparently, the feedback was still playing yet no one had been coming in yet. Maybe they dismissed the fact that he'd come back here where he'd be surely caught. There was one agent that went here, but saw nothing of importance.

David Wang looked at himself and saw a scared looking man with a body of 19 year old. He was lanky in the clothes he wore. Underneath his hooded coat, he wore a ribbed knit sweater with the colour schemes of white and blue. His cargo pants were a colour of a dark shade of green. With his round rimmed clothes, he looked like another dork on vacation to Sokovia. His shoes were normal black running shoes. He felt normal for once, but it was entirely unfortunate that he had to be normal for an escape plan.

At the corner of his eyes, he saw Pietro looking at himself as well. It must be weird to see yourself again in normal clothes that weren't grey and ragged. Pietro looked normal. He looked like a normal guy who just bleached his hair. He wore a yellow and black shirt underneath a black jacket with arrows at the side. He wore normal stretchable pants that were easy for him in run in.

Despite his gender, he felt a bit insecure. Pietro was handsome as any celebrity with the charm of that of Han Solo. He hated the fact that he just acted like a totally high with oxytocin which really was found in woman. Maybe that was the whole reason Wang didn't like Pietro had first. He tried to tell himself that it was because he was obnoxious, self-absorbed, and a complete ass, but maybe it was because Pietro was more good looking.

Wang sighed. He experienced being shadowed by guys with looks like Pietro in high school, or really his whole life. It was petty, but it was something that even guys experience.

Who would like him?

He was extremely awkward and he had a face of a little groundhog.

"You're handsome too."

Wang spun around to see Wanda facing him in her civilian getup. Wanda was in simple dark blue long sleeved dress with some kind of flowery embroidery on it. Around her neck, she wore a silver low chained necklace with a sphere pendant. She wore some kind of ripped stockings, and comfortable leather ankle boots. He looked to see something glinted in the light to see that Wanda had two rings on one hand. Her hair was down, tied with no ponytail. It framed her face and delicately gave more contrast to her pale skin.

"Excuse me?" Wang replied nervously, looking around the room to see if Pietro had heard that. Luckily, the runner was looking through Wang's supervisions.

"I heard your mind." Wanda stated. "You can't really think that."

Wang shuffled awkwardly. "No, I don't think that..." He said, he played with his hands.

Wanda was about to reply but Wang beaten her to it. "…I know that." he shuffled away to join Pietro with the bags.

He felt Wanda's stare directed at him. God knows that he had no feelings for Wanda nor does she with him. It was platonic as chicken with rice. He stopped though in his tracks when he saw Aerith.

Aerith sat talking to Pietro in hushed tones. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun with lock falling on to her face, and Pietro brushed it off with his fingers. Wang didn't mean to stare but he did. This was the first time he ever seen her in any other clothes than the dread grey ones. She wore a black two layer V-neck dress. Her sleeves were polka dots of black with translucent sleeves. The straps of her dress can be seen underneath the fabric. It seemed that the translucent sleeves were a part of her dress with the sleeveless top inside. Around her neck was a golden mod retro vintage feather necklace. She wore normal black thighs and tall black lace-up boots. Her hands bore no jewellery, but a black five hollow out leather fingerless biker gloves.

She was pretty in all aspects, but the point where Pietro was involved did not soothe his uneasy when he was close to her. Wang watched as Pietro handed her a red wine cashmere coat winter hooded mantle military coat. Aerith gratefully accepted and wore it. Wanda it seemed walked past him and got a black cashmere winter coat with a wide white fur-lined hood. Pietro in return had gotten himself a beanie.

Wang's watch beeped. It was time.

"Okay, we need to move, daytime is upon us." He said, getting his backpack.

He checked the room to see it clean and spotless before opened the door out of the cell. He peeked outside. There doesn't seem to be anyone out there. So, he walked out and ushered the others outside.

* * *

Luckily, they managed to get into the greenhouse. It was still littered with fireflies, and this was a safe zone where Aerith rules the place. With a flick of her wrist, the trees blocked the footage and the hedges began to form a roof off their heads as Wang leads them to the doorway. If you probably wondering why they didn't the hedges to make roofs, the greenhouse has a thermal sensor and if you might have remembered, they could hide them.

They went deep in the greenhouse, making sure to be quiet as possible and as quick as they can be. Soon they were confronted with a big willow tree with its roots up and down into the earth.

"Aerith, we need to move the roots." Wang whispered to her.

Aerith nodded and lifted her hand, soon the roots started to move quietly. And when the door was revealed Wang rushed towards it, brushing the leaves away and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. Wanda appeared next to him with a wave of her hand the door disintegrated.

"Okay, that works." Wang said a bit speechless.

"You're welcome." Wanda said in return.

One by one they jumped inside in the dark dank tunnel. Aerith patched up where the door used to be, so when Strucker attempts to find them they wouldn't find the entrance. Wang opened his torch and led the way through the tunnel to where no one knew what fate decides.


	11. Everything Wrong in The World

_A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this took sometime to think and write about. Things had strayed me from this work, but I am trying to make up for it. I hope this chapter would suffice in appeasement for my delay for updates._

 _And have you seen Civil War? It was awesome. So might as well let you carry on with your reading._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs_

* * *

A sound repeated inside his head, pounding against his skull. It was like a drumming noise inside his head that threw him to the ground. He tried to remove it, but the beeps grew louder and louder until it was pitched to the highest tone, clouding his ears. It was the kind of sound you would hear in a microphone or an explosion of sorts. The light had forgone its presence around him, letting his eyes settle in the darkness as it beckoned him to sleep, a sleep so sweet and so tempting. It was then he remembered.

 _WANG!_

It echoed in his ears like it was on a dilated spectrum. He shot his eyes open, feeling the coldness of the snow against his face. Wang groaned, peering through the darkness of the forest. Pain struck through him as he lifted his hand up to his face. It stung and he jerked his hand back. He saw the tips of his gloves stained in blood. In alarm, he looked around, but the three enhanced were nowhere to be found.

"AERITH! WANDA! PIETRO!" he shouted, looking around the dark snowy forest. He breathed heavily. The worry had started creeping in as he then started to walk, shouting their names.

"AERITH! WANDA! PIETRO!"

There was nothing but the echo of his voice. He didn't understand what happened. Everything was going according to plan. They had slipped in through the city undetected—Hell! They even bought stuff, but then we went in the forest and something hit then. It took out Wanda first, slamming her against a tree. And that's when everything fell apart. Wang couldn't see it and neither could Aerith or Pietro. They stayed close to Wanda, protecting her. He remembered Aerith, placing her hands on her ears as if to block something.

" _The trees! Someone's coming! The voices are too many!" Aerith said before kneeling on the ground next to Wanda, who had not yet regained consciousness._

 _Wang ran straight to her, checking to see if she and Wanda were alright. The female Maximoff twin was alright, she was just unconscious, but Aerith was another matter. She still clutched her ears tight as if to block something out. Normally, the trees wouldn't have done this if they weren't in trouble._

" _Are they alright?"_

 _Wang looked up to see Pietro with his fist clenched as he looked around for their perpetrator._

" _Yeah, Wanda is just unconscious. And well—the trees are warning Aerith." He said, moving towards the redhead who still kneeling at the ground._

" _Do you think it's HYDRA?" Pietro asked._

 _Before Wang answered, Aerith had beaten him to it. "No. No HYDRA. Something worst." She said, breathing heavily as she tried to regain control over the voices._

 _There was a rustle from their left, making them jerk back from that direction, wary of it. Then there was another rustle to their right. Aerith gasped in fright, clutching on Wang's arm that had resulted into Wang holding Wanda's shoulder. A twig had snapped in the direction in front of them and the birds had squawked as they fled. Aerith's grip left Wang's as she chose to rise from her place, standing next to Pietro. She peered through the darkness as the voices spoke softly to her. It was something dangerous. Something like them. There was a stomp on the ground that shook the earth, almost making Pietro and Aerith fall. It was coming towards them as it repeated in synchronised precision._

 _Without even thinking about it, she found Pietro's hand and entwined their fingers together in fear. The enhanced Sokovian clutched her hand tight as well, narrowing his eyes in front of them._

 _From the trees, there appeared two grey men. Aerith widened her eyes when she saw them. The first man was bulky and had such dark grey skin with black lines coating his veins. His eyes were black as the void inside her head. His face was a broad, flat-nosed head – just like that of a circular Aztec monument. In fact, he looked like a stone creature. His armour showed his bulging muscles. He had a broad, black chest plate and flaps around his waist that looked like the things you would find in a samurai costume. He looked at them, settling his eye on Wang with a grin on his face. It was the grin of a man who had found his favourite twig to snap._

 _The other man was completely different from the other. He did possess the grey skin, but it was fairer than the other, almost appearing as white. He was slender, tall, and well built but not so bulky. He had long, silver hair that reached until his back. He had a fair face, but there were dark shadows around his eyes that enhanced his red, gleaming eyes. They were of the colour of blood, which unnerved them all. He wore a black duster jacket that reached until his ankles. There were broad shoulder guards on his shoulders secured by some straps that made an x on his chest. He had sleeves, but there was an exposure on his chest area. There was, as well, a sword on his hip. He looked at Aerith with such glee that Pietro found disgusting._

 _Aerith blocked out the pounding in her head and the flashes that came with them. She knew them from somewhere. They were there were the village was in ruins, but now was not the time for a trip down memory lane._

 _The slender man titled his head. "Which one do you like, Ulric?" he asked in a smooth voice. "Which one do you want to break first?"_

 _His eyes gleamed in excitement as he examined them from head to toe._

" _The short one at the back…" Ulric had answered; his voice sounding like the rumbling of the earth. And his eyes were on Wang, who did his best to look brave. "I think he'll feel rather—"_

" _No! You will not touch him!" Aerith warned, leaving Pietro's grasp._

 _There was a low chuckle from Ulric. "She's feisty… maybe I'll break her where her friends can watch."_

 _He made a move towards her, but his slender companion stopped him. "No. We have orders." He whispered to him, making him stop._

 _Pietro had moved close to Aerith, ready to unleash his speed when the shot had been fired. Aerith glanced at him, staying near him with her arms ready for combat. There was a complication if they were to engage in battle. Wanda was still unconscious and Wang couldn't defend himself. The two grey men would use this to their advantage, putting them in the firing line. So, in order for their safety, there was only one thing to do._

" _Wang." She called to him quietly, but loud enough for Pietro to hear._

 _The doctor looked up at her. "I need you to take Wanda and run as far from here as possible when the fight starts."_

 _Horror dawned on him when he tried to protest, but he knew it was futile. He also knew the complications both Wanda and him have, so he gave a nod and looked at Pietro's tensed figure. The Sokovian knew it was a wise decision, considering he could not both defend Wanda and Wang while fighting them. They were formidable opponents. He could see well enough that he could not beat them so easily._

" _Go, Wang. Keep her safe or you'll find yourself on the wrong side of the world." He said, sparing one last glance at his twin._

 _Wang didn't know who started it, but the next thing he knew he had grabbed Wanda and sprinted down the forest. He heard the crashes, a monstrous roar, slices in the air, whooshing noises, and the creaks from the trees. He kept running forward with tears in his eyes._

The doctor ran through the snowy foliage, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He looked around desperately for Wanda, who might be undoubtedly lying unconscious on cold ground. His beating heart hammered through his skull as the wound on his scar stung from the snow that began to fall. Whoever the fuck did this to him; they were going to pay… after he gets Wanda, Pietro, and Aerith back.

Wang huffed and puffed as if he had transformed into the Big Bad Wolf. If he was any kind of wolf, he'll be one of those cubs that get left to die. That was cynical, but that's how life goes… as National Geographic sayings go anyways.

How did Pietro handle this? All of this running was making him feel sick like he was back at Space Mountain in Disneyland after he ate a churro. Pointedly, he did puke on his sister's shoes, and there was no doubt if he runs any faster he might puke on his. Not to mention, he was short. Wang wasn't ashamed of his height, but he does recognize there are setbacks. He couldn't even get the goddamn cereal at his cupboard back at home or even get his damn underwear out of the washing machine without jumping in. It was annoying him—even more so now since he couldn't run fast enough. Short legs don't give that advantage. And that's why he failed P.E… actually thinking about it… he failed P.E. for more reasons than one.

Ugh! He was remembering _those_ days again. God, he hates them. Actually, he was a bit thankful since they boosted his immunity to taunts. HYDRA was full of brutes and bullies, and it wasn't actually a surprise when Dad dramatically revealed it to him. You can smell the megalomaniac loon stench on him. If it was cologne or perfume, it is definitely called Hydra.

Grumbling a curse on his father's name, he stopped, taking a breather. Daybreak was upon them, lighting the first few rays of the sun over the vast horizon. And Wang couldn't help, but pessimistically think that HYDRA was going to capture them—

A twig snapped behind him, making his skin crawl. Wang prayed he did not just jinx this. Crossing fingers, he turned around to see a doe sprinting off into the distance. He breathed out a relieved sigh. Wang turned back around only to be faced by a rather large gun in close proximity to his face. From out of nowhere, HYDRA agents filled his sight from their hiding places around him. God, they were like the elves of Lothlorien except with guns and less glamour.

"You could never outrun us, David." Strucker's accented voice filled the air as he strode into the clearing with a cold, hard stare at him. "I thought you knew that."

"There is always a first time." Wang humoured, trying to keep himself from retreating to his hedgehog ball of safety and ignorance.

"I expected more from you." He said, giving the already cold atmosphere an even more freezing aura. "Where are they?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Something jabbed his gut, sending him kneeling on the ground. He clutched his gut, hoping it might lessen the pain. Wang always did this whenever Dad became physical with him. Honestly, he should be used to this, but let's admit it; this is HYDRA and they do shit in a much worse perdition.

"I must admit that your treason had given us quite a shock, but then again, you were never like your father."

Wang looked at the ground still clutching his gut. The last thing anyone expected was the doctor laughing. It was first a giggle, until he exploded into the most boisterous laughter there was. It was enough to see that he was going insane with his curly mop of hair flopping around while his head whirled in laughter.

"I will never be like my father." He laughed, looking at Strucker as if he were a joke. "I will never be one of you."

"I will never betray my friends for this one shot of happiness even if it _KILLS_ _ **ME**_!" he roared, glaring at every last one of them before he burst back into a fit of laughter.

There was silence for the outburst of the young, regularly meek scientist who had surprised every last one of them. Every agent that stood on that ground was watching the spectacle of him. Some even had direct contact, some in stories, but the actions he had done at that moment was… shocking.

He laughed, not caring about his glasses in the verve of falling. Wang noticed the wary stares and the silence from his audience. He stopped. His face was blank for a moment before a huge grin as he looked at Strucker.

He titled his head and drawled, "Why so serious?"

* * *

Pietro nearly missed the blade that sliced the tree behind him. Whatever the man was, he was obviously not human. It surprised him when the silver-haired man had unsheathed his blade that had started to glow. It also surprised him even more when the man had caught some of his movement. The man—Genesis, he heard the stone man call him—was fast, but he wasn't as fast as him. He zoomed past his movements, tripping him and punching his face towards the nearest tree. He was happy when his punch had sent Genesis soaring through the trees, breaking them in the process.

He ran to where he landed only to find another blade almost hitting his face. He stood there with his glowing blades floating around him. There had been a hundreds of them! All of them were directed at him. Pietro was still clueless about the man's powers, but he knew it had something to do with weapon summoning. Honestly, he would have preferred the big one than him.

 _At least he won't get stabbed by thousands of swords._

Genesis smiled twistedly at him before sending the blades upon him. Pietro ran, dodging them. He learned the hard way not to get any of the glowing weapons, but he could redirect them. He quickly spun some blades around to meet with Genesis body, but as soon as that was done Genesis jumped and disappeared. He looked around, carefully searching for him, but the last thing he expected was to hear a sonic boom not far from him.

Yeah, he should have fought the big guy.

* * *

Another tree was thrown towards her, but she managed to command it to entwine itself around Ulric's body as he tried to rip them apart. Aerith was tired, absolutely fucking tired. She had used fire, wind, and water against him and he was still kicking. It slowed him down, but it wasn't enough to take him down. Earth seemed to be the key to it. She had been dodging and blocking his attacks so many times that she had wished Wang had taught her gymnastics.

The redhead groaned as she deflected another attack from him. His punch levelled with her as she had summoned a stonewall to block it. She knew that he was getting more frustrated at this than she was, but they kept at it. Aerith twisted, summoning fire and shooting fireballs at his face. He stumbled back with his hands on his face. She had summoned a rock punch from the earth, sending him up in the sky. She rocketed up with the force of the wind and knocked him down to the earth with a mighty boom. He landed on the ground, making a crater for himself. She fell afterwards, making an ice-water spear with the intention of stabbing him on the chest. Aerith was almost to her goal when something smacked into her.

She fell down roughly even with the trees that tried to lessen her descend. She ended up in a patch of lilies as she tried to stand up again. There were soft footsteps as she looked up to see Genesis stand in front of her.

"Serah and Fen were right about you." He said, looking at her intently with a smirk on his lips.

Aerith's eyes widened at the name. "How did you know that name?" she asked softly, remembering the night she tried to murder her. _Who was Fen?_

"I was there the night she was tasked to spy on you." He said bluntly, he paused. "I understand why brother had so keenly left…" He said softly, walking towards her with his head tilted. "Their words could not suffice to describe your beauty."

"Stay back." Aerith warned with her hand stretched forward with a blazing fireball in place. The tree branches were sharpened, ready to impale themselves on him. The air had seemed to close in on him, putting pressure. The snow had turned to ice, floating beside her like arrows ready to launch. More importantly, when did she meet his brother? She had no recollection of meeting anyone in his like.

Genesis seemed to have enjoyed the show of her powers. "She didn't say you've grown so powerful." He coughed, not minding the taste of his own blood. He took a step forward and everything when to hell. The silver-haired man had appeared with a long and think sword, deflecting the ice arrows. Aerith had the branches struck, stabbing through his shoulder, but what made it scary was that Genesis had seemed to laugh at it. His sword had hacked it off and almost immediately the bloody round holes on his shoulder had healed. Aerith panicked and threw the fireballs at him, dodging the sharp daggers that were now embedded on many tree trunks behind her.

She made a wave from the ground, burying him with snow and dirt. She ran before the sharp tendrils of blades could reach her like a spin cycle on a lottery. She ran through the pathway the trees had made her, ignoring the aching of her feet. Her breaths became uneven; as it had begun to snow. The further she ran, the more memories compressed in her and started to arise. Resisting the pounding, she settled in reciting the words she had connected to.

"Please tell me… tell me how this is supposed to work… who lies within me?" she muttered softly, running without a thought. "I'm broken, broken in the midst of this world, but you're smiling, blind to it all."

The flashes had begun, but she found herself not caring. There was a little girl in a ruined church where the wild lilies lay. Laughing men and signing peace on the rolling willow's lane. She blinked her tears away. The moment she opened them, she was somewhere else.

What once was the snow-covered forest lane had turned into the bright evergreen spring of a forgotten one. The snow had turned into petals, raining from above the trees. The light glowed in the land, basking the flora in radiant glory. She walked to see the dandelions on the edge mixed with lavender chicories. The soft white petals were perched around them. The forest had never been so beautiful. The trees stretched up to the skies with their branches like arms stretching to touch the clouds pass by. A petal landed on her head, and raised her hand up to see that she was not wearing the same clothes. Her red wine coat was gone along with everything she remembered wearing, and instead was replaced with a simple, draped short-sleeved dress that reached until her knees. It was rose pink and it was soft with a glowing nature. Her coat was now a short-sleeved red jacket with two pockets and metal guards on the rim of her sleeves. It was only up until her bust. On her arms she wore knitted red cut-off gloves that had buttons at the side, trailing it until the end. She looked down to see her feet clad in brown laced-up boots that had buckles at the back and a zipper at the side. There was slight restriction on her throat that did not choke her, but was wrapped around her neck that felt like strings. Her hair was no longer in a bun, but was in a twist braid with her bangs with curled ends.

 _I'm broken anyway, so I halt my breath…_

There was a rustle from behind the wood, frightening her. She released a gasp and turned to see a doe peer up to her. All anxiousness was gone, and the feeling of peace had brought her back. The doe titled her head at Aerith. It sprinted away when a voice called her away.

"Hey, flower girl!"

Aerith turned around to find a young, tall boy with spiky blonde hair that just went in whatever direction. He wore a grey shirt under a black cardigan. There was a cream soft scarf that was wrapped about his neck. His trousers were cream-coloured and his shoes were black caked in dirt. He had soft-looking face accompanied by a cheery smile and bright green eyes. There was a soaring feeling inside her that grew with the spark of curiosity. She seemed to have known this man. With a tilt of her head, she walked forwards.

"Do we know each other?" she asked, peering curiously at the strange man.

"What are talking about?" he snorted. "We're friends. Don't tell me you forgot!"

The boy casted a glance at her direction, but when he saw her clueless face, his smile turned into a frown. "Do you really not know my name?"

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't worry about it!" his cheery attitude came back again, smiling widely. "We'll just introduce each other again."

Before Aerith could say anything, the boy bowed. "I'm Kadaj Alistratov Lennon, your friendly neighbourhood teenager."

He stood up straight with a grin in place. Aerith couldn't help, but smile. And not wanting to be rude, she curtsied. "I'm Aerith Anastasia Jude, at your service." she said, rather meekly.

Kadaj beamed at the introduction.

"This might be rude, but where am I?" Aerith asked, gesturing around the forest.

Kadaj chuckled and stretched out his hand. "Let's find the answer to that."

The smile he bore was contagious as she found her smiling at him. Slowly, she walked, taking his hand. He gripped her hand softly before sprinting into a run with her behind. He laughed as they crossed a small river. They stepped on stones carefully, trying not to fall. She felt like a child running across the glen with no care in the world. Aerith ran with Kadaj with her heart full of strange gladness. She didn't know why, but she felt safe with him even though she was aware this was a dream.

They came out from the forest and into the fields of gold. She remembered this place, remembering her first dream into the awakening past. Kadaj released her hand and jogged to a place she woke upon in a nightmare so far.

 _I can't unravel myself, and even the truth is in a freeze…_

Slowly, she walked towards the fields with her eyes in a teary gaze. Tears fell down her pale cheeks as she reached the doors of the church. The oaken doors were tall and wide, towering over her. What was she thinking amongst the chaos in her mind? Was this not a dreamy hallucination of a life some took from her? And yet when she tried to tear her consciousness away from this gleaming state, she could not. She could not will it to be done for the grief of what was deprived from her was strong as the wonder of the past.

If she could not find solace in the breaking reality, then maybe the fading dream might provide it even for a splitting second. Oh, what was she thinking? If Wang were here, he would think she had lost her mind.

 _I'm breakable, unbreakable; going insane, unable to lose my mind._

Although, it was still unclear for her on how much can the mimicry of delusions from the truthfulness be of the apparent state. Aerith had known for some time that nothing was as it seemed. And when our minds sense it, we either choose to ignore it or face the truth. There are some that demand the truth, but when it had been laid out for them, they ignore and seclude their minds in their fabricated reasoning. Aerith could not deny that there were times she secluded herself to such, but it was basic human characterization. Though, her stay with HYDRA was enough to fill her mind with thoughts she could not have imagine thinking, let alone suggesting.

Maybe she was going insane. That this dream was just nothing but a cage for her to escape HYDRA's grasps. Maybe she wasn't. And that this was all the truth, not programmed by prodding needles and electric chairs. That was prospect she did not intend to share with her friends.

Since Wang's absence, List had made it his mission to purge all ridiculous notions that was put inside her head by Wang, and he would replace that with HYDRA. Aerith recalled the several hours of being strapped to a metal chair as electric static conjure your mind. List would be overseeing her health with Strucker announcing all ideas and teaching of their fucked-up organization and shoving it down her mind. _Shoving_ was not the correct to use, might as well be _drilling_ it.

Aerith remembered the taste of her own metallic blood and aching of her body. Recalling it all now, they might have been successful in drilling something in. It was also then that Strucker had instructed some of their agents to 'put her in shape', so began the training. She was a fast learner, surprisingly, but it seemed like she had done it before. Never mind that thought. What she needed to think was whether to proceed or not.

She pressed her hand on it and gave a slight push. It creaked and a bright shining light poked out from the small crevice of the door. Aerith released a heavy sigh, and pushed the doors wide open. The bright light filled her sight.

 _Then I found you and felt something give way._

* * *

The first thing Wanda registered was that aching throbbing on her face. She blinked her eyes open, trying to herself together. The light seeped through her vision, giving her the motivation to get up. She groaned, sitting up.

"Pietro?" she called out, her hand waving aimlessly in the air, expecting to feel the touch of her brother's hand. The absence of it troubled her, pulling her out of her trance. She opened her eyes wide open, looking around the glen in desperate breaths.

"Pietro!?" she called out, standing up; not minding the pain on her hip. "Aerith?! Wang?! Pietro?!"

There was no reply, sending her a ripple of worry. What had happened? Where were they? She remembered walking, voices, and the pain that rushed through her. Someone had attacked her. It was not Strucker, that was for sure. Amongst her thoughts, there was roar not too far from where she was. If there were a chance she'll find them, they'd be where the roar was.

There was dread that was carried in her, but she chose to ignore it as she walked in determined haste through the woods.

* * *

Bright white light surrounded her like a land of pure light. Slowly, flowers appeared from beneath her feet and the white light disappeared and the church appeared.

 _In this twisted world, my form grows more and more transparent, till it can't even be seen._

In the lonesome church, it was all the same as she remembered it to be. The pews were still overturned, broken, although no vine or moss touched it since. The jalousies still lit the room, and the roof still had the huge gaping hole; the sunlight touches the flowerbed upon the broken altar. It seemed the flowerbed was bare, for it was only grass that grew.

There fellows of four greeted her. They were men that gardened, cleaned, or talked. As much as she would be petrified at the sight, she wasn't. Kadaj was talking to a man that seemed older than he by only a few years. He had alarmingly violet hair. It was long and pulled back by a tie with only his long bangs falling over his shoulder. A pointed nose and creamy features; he was a head taller than the boy which seemed to alarm him. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves folded up into the crook for elbows. His black trousers had traces of dirt splattered across it, and he wore sandals. The two were conversing on the aisle when everyone else was around the garden. Goodness, she almost thought the violet-haired man was a woman, but with a hair like that anyone would. In fact, those were glorious locks.

"Come one, Sirius!" Kadaj whined loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

There were chuckles from around the room; even Aerith had to stop the smile that tugged her lips. The violet-haired man—Sirius as she recalled him being called—looked exasperated as if this happened too many times, but there was a faint smile that appeared.

"Give it up." A man with blue hair said casually, patting Sirius's back. "You know, he won't ever let this down."

The man was tall, but not like Sirius. His hair was an alarmingly bright shade of blue with the style that she couldn't recognize. His hair was layered with some strands long and others short. It was the hair that she would expect from an anime character. On his head perched a faded green hat that matched the colour of his trousers and his jacket. His jacket had a high collar along with his buttoned white shirt underneath. The collar was popped out, hiding his neck. There was a loose tie underneath that was on the verge of falling. His hands were covered and were on his hips. He had clear, shining lavender eyes that were something that reminded her of a bubble. He had a small nose and thin pink lips.

"Levi, as much as it hurts, is right you fool." Someone said loudly.

Aerith shifted to look who it was that spoke. Sitting on debris of rock, a man with dark skin and dreadlocked hair had caught her attention. He was wearing a white vest embroidered with golden linings, but he wore no shirt underneath, exposing his sculpted chest. His trousers were blue with a red sash wrapped around his torso and his waist like a belt. He had a large nose and broad face, but his eyes were what surprised Aerith. They were yellow, like the eyes of a tiger about to attack. If he turned a bit more, she could see the tattoo on his face.

"Ah! How nice of you, Rude!" Levi exclaimed with copious delight.

"Don't push it, blue boy." He growled.

The enhanced red-haired did not bring herself the courage to join them. She'd rather watch as if a wall had separated them.

 _Please don't find me… don't look upon me._

"Aerith."

She jumped at the mention of her name. From beside her appeared a man two inches taller than she with messy black hair and gleaming red eyes—well, eye. A red cloth loosely covered his other eye. The man looked pale, as if he was dead with a tint of grey. Though it wasn't the state his skin was in that bothered her, but the red eyes that were upon her. There was something different. The eyes were like rubies. It did not bring fear into her heart, but rather a sense of curiosity and gentleness. They reminded her of something… the eyes of the man who attacked her—this was Fen!

"You were scared." He simply said, peering up from his red bandana.

"I-I-"

"Hey Aerith!" a gruff voice said her name.

She looked around to see Rude heading towards her along with a boy with wavy blonde hair and earthy brown eyes.

"Where've you been, Red?" he asked, charging to hug her.

Before she could protest, his arms wrapped around her waist and he spun her around. Aerith could not help but release a startled squeal. There were laughs that joined her from all over the room. The spinning shifted and her smile had stopped, fading as the room turned blurry. The laughs were drowned out and the spin cycle of the church shifted into flash of barren rock when a crash descent, putting fear in her.

 _In this world that someone else imagined, I simply don't want to hurt you._

She breathed in heavily once, stumbling and looking around. She wasn't at the church anymore. Gone were the laughs and the warm air of the summer's breeze. She was back. Back in the cold reality of what she had lost. There was a tree behind her and so she settled upon leaning against it, thumping the back of her head softly on the trunk. Her hands were tucked in her coat pockets. Why didn't she have her memories? She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the song of the trees. Aerith never told Wang, but there were times they would sing to her in a way that she could not describe. It was sad but beautiful, telling their waning story of their time in Earth.

The redhead almost laughed. If she were normal, anyone who'd hear her say that she could talk to trees would throw her in the loony bin. And probably, the Sokovian HYDRA base was something akin to that. There was a shout behind her. She opened her eyes and listened, remaining in the cover of the large tree.

 _So please just remember me, as vivid as I used to be._

"Flower girl! Come out and play!"

Her blood froze as Genesis's taunting shout echoed through the forest. Aerith breathed softly, her finger bared to the bark of the tree for reassurance.

The soft footsteps behind her haunted her very being. As she prepared herself for another attack, she connected herself with the very nature of this area. She released her held breath, sinking in motion with her everything in this wood. In blurry motions, she could see where Genesis was at the centre of the plain, looking around with a malicious smile.

This was an ability she didn't want Wang to know about… not yet. This particular thing helps her connect with the very nature of the land, making them her _spies_ —if more similar. The trees were her eyes, the snow her touch, and the very air her ears. At least that was what was happening.

Aerith remembered what Wang said about her life flashing before her eyes.

 _Endlessly expanding solitude wraps around me, and I'm reminded of times I laughed innocently,_

She was scared. She was scared to lose the memories she had gathered with her friends even if it was made in a place of perdition. And it was then that she thanked whoever dropped her off in Sokovia. If HYDRA didn't take her, she wouldn't have met them. Three of the most wonderful people she had the honour of meeting. She focused back at watching Genesis's actions, but something happened that she did not intend; he had disappeared, leaving no trace in the area. She panicked and became alert. There was nothing, so she disconnected herself, breathing heavily. Aerith looked around and turned around, peeking from the trunk of the tree. Genesis was not there, maybe it was—

 _But I can't move, can't get move, can't move, can't get move, can't move, can't move_

"Found you." He whispered in her ear.

 _Unraveling the world_

* * *

 _Please remember to review, and thank you for reading._


	12. In Chains

_A/N: Yes, I know. Don't kill me, it's been a long time. And life has been very...challenging with many problems that arose. Forgive me since it has been months since I updated and thank god I was able to finish this part, but hey, I don't know how you guys will like this chapter, but here we go. I see some of you guys have been seeing a bit of Final Fantasy vibes in there, and I won't deny my love for that game at all. And the last bit of chapter eleven must be confusing for some, but it's actually a glimpse of Aerith's past before she got lost her memory of it._

 _The Avengers are coming quite soon, so stay tuned for that, but I'm letting the enhanced trio and their doctor finish their time of trouble with HYDRA before they start with a new one._

 _Thank you for your patience, dear readers. Do not forget to review. And enjoy chapter twelve of When Winter Fell :)_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC(s)._

* * *

The scream echoed in the forest. It bounced off the trees, delivering its tortured hark. There were groans as well from twisting roots, dreading their mistress's pain. It was evident; all could feel the disastrous wake of the terror that hurts her. The earth shook; the rocks combust; the rivers broke; the animals fled. None could stand the sound anymore—the cry for help they could not answer. Their mistress forbade it, but with her commands they knew there was someone who could save her.

In haunted lays, her screams were delivered, around the woods; distorted and faraway. Yet it had done its job, finding them. There was a crash upon the snow-white ground. A huge hunk of rock fell with a scarlet glow. And exhausted breaths can be heard. Pietro done his job, tiring the rock creature out, but the final step was done by his sister.

It was harder than expected to defeat this lump of rock, but at the end, they did, but he was still alive. Pietro stood up straight, catching his breath.

"I thought you never get tired." Wanda commented dryly, looking at her twin's state with a bemused look.

Rolling his shoulders, he looked at her. "I'm sorry to disappoint, dear sister."

The smiled at each other but before anyone could make a move, there was a sound that filtered the area. They both swished around; guards up. There was no one there deemed to be a threat, but the sound came again like a moaning whale. The groans came and branches covered Ulric's body, twisting and turning. The twins watched surprised at the movement. It enveloped him like a spider spinning its web. A hole came and the branches pulled his body into the earth.

Something tugged Wanda's hair and she spun to see a bird chirped on her shoulder. It titled its head as if pointing. Wanda shared a look with Pietro who was just as confused as her. The bird left her should to join a flock of birds gathered on the trees, surrounding them; watching them. They chirped then a scream resounded, making the twins jump back, covering their ears.

"What was that?" Pietro asked, uncovering his ears. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't know."

Wanda looked around the woods worriedly. It wasn't something that she'd hear normally in the forest. It was human for sure, but the place where it comes from—who it comes from troubled her as well as the question of why there were birds around them. Why would they crowd around them? Why would the trees move without— _oh no…_

"Pietro…" she called out.

Her brother turned to her questioningly.

"Where is Aerith?"

The realization dawned to him. The scream resounded again and this time they knew who it belongs to.

"Where must we go?" Pietro said; his fists clenched with determination.

The birds chirped, getting their attention again. And one by one, they flew into the woods, creating a chain that they would follow.

Pietro turned to Wanda and scooped her up into his arms, and they ran. The redhead explained it once to them about her communication with animals. How she could communicate with them. If they were here now, then something must have happened. And they bet they knew who was hurting her.

* * *

Genesis delighted upon her delicious screams as he tore her mind open, searching for the memories he needed. He loved how she struggled against his grip, the burning sensation she must be feeling from the device against her head. The device wasn't supposed to torture her this way. The pain that she should have felt was like a slice of a knife—not the scalding invisible flames, tearing her apart. The maximum power was better than the average. It was faster in gathering the information and more fun to watch.

He turned the device off, pulling it away and letting his target breath. She was slumped on the floor against a tree, pale and weak—vulnerable to his unforgiving touch. His masters had ordered him to get the information needed and afterwards…he could do with her as he pleased. The thought made him smile, looking down at the beautiful creating in front of him.

Her skin pale and sickly still glowed faintly like the light of dying star. Her red hair silky against her skin as it looked so soft to touch. Her eyes glowing faintly like galaxies were stored within them. How beautiful he found her to be and yet his mission has yet to be done. Not all the information had been transferred.

Genesis powered the device back up again, placing it against her skin. His target whimpered, pushing him away weakly, but he tutted and said, "It will be over soon, my _sweet_ …"

He touched her cheek, caressing it gently, looking into her eyes. So full of fear…he wondered how it would be like to empty it all out. After his mission, after he was done with her, he would release her into the void where she may sleep as she wished. His face was near hers; only inches apart their noses would have touched.

"…And afterwards…" he said breathlessly on the nape of her neck, breathing her scent; brushing his lips against her jawline. Her breath hitched either with fear and dread or something else—it did not matter. His fingers found themselves titling her chin up, forcing her to look into his red, gleaming eyes. His thumb traced her lips, so soft and pink. He wondered how it would taste against his. Her breath was uneven as he could feel her scared beating heart hammer against her chest. His gaze came down to her chest, covered with the fabric of her red wine coat.

He smirked mischievously. And he looked up as Aerith stared at him with fear, her eyes begging him not to. His hands drifted down to the top buttons of her coat, hovering over them. Weakly, Aerith lifted her hand to stop him, but he continued unbuttoning them slowly; torturing her. Tears spilled from her eyes as he hungrily took in the sight of her porcelain neck and her collarbone. His fingers traced her collarbone and down to her chest. Genesis looked at her, titling her head upwards, brushing his lips against her neck. She silently cried, her hand on his chest, trying to push him away but it only tightened his resolve. He brushed his lips against her lips.

"…You will be mine…"

"No." Aerith croaked out, holding his wrist.

Genesis looked at her, amused by her resilience. He was strong, and she was weak. There was no harm she could do now. That was what he thought until her grip tightened and his skin felt like it was burning. He looked at her eyes to see it glow a dark combination of blue and violet. Her touch pained him like nothing else before. His wrist slowly turned to violet as he felt a sudden decay in her touch. There were these waves that came out of her, wrapping themselves around his arms. It was doing something to him—something he never felt before.

It didn't register to the grey-skinned mutant until it happened.

The trees groaned and his target stopped and the waves disappeared yet the pain never stopped. He stood up and clutched his violet arm, feeling it burn like it was coated with lava. His arm fell limply on his side, unusable. His veins can be seen and he can feel his blood stop. It was like poison, flowing through his veins. Genesis glared at his target and bared his teeth until something unexpected happened.

Genesis landed roughly on the ground with Ulric's heavy body on top of him. Dirt covered him as it fell from the oaf's body. He groaned and opened one eye find a flock of birds flying to the sky as it exited from the trees. There was a silver blur and he saw a girl with brown hair carried by a man with silver tainted hair. His memory clicked and he remembered who they were.

 _Wanda and Pietro, wasn't it?_

Pietro placed his sister down and ran towards his target, who was breathing heavily in relief. Genesis watched as the boy embraced her, whispering gently to her. God does that sight stir anger and curiosity in him. And that this situation of it all, he was impressed with what his target did. It was smart that she used the animals and the trees to warn the Maximoffs, knowing they would answer. Genesis knew that the twins were miles away from them—too far to hear her scream, but she projected it through the forest and bide her time with him so the twins can reach and rescue her. She used the animals as the messengers to help the twins find their location, leading them to where they were now.

Life was funny with the way it interrupts the scenes. He was almost there. He shouldn't have bide his time. He should have taken her memories and bid her adieu with a snap of her neck, but no—he was distracted. And now, he was finished in getting what he was ordered to do in the first place. Whatever stoic façade was made had turned into a scowl. If only _they_ didn't interrupt his _interrogation_ , then he wouldn't have gone empty-handed. He clenched his fists, making the leather squeak with its tightness.

The device lay away from him next to his target, still powered by not used. Maybe he could defeat them—catch them off guard—he could finish what he started. What plan that was formulating in his mind was lost with the sound of the device being mashed and burned by his target. His red eyes gleamed with anger, seeing the blacken device being crushed to bits and buried beneath the earth.

Wanda came close to them and with her hands glowing red she lifted him up from the ground. He was lifted as if she had clutched his neck, readying for him to hang by the noose of her red glow. His eyes were trained at the spot where the device was and he cursed to think Ulric had already broken his.

Speaking of Ulric, he made no move in recognition of waking up.

 _Maybe he was dead._ Genesis snorted internally. If he found out that his big oaf of a brother had been defeated by these weak _experiments,_ he'd kill him himself. The brunette seemed murderous by the minute, glaring down at him as he smirked. He knew that she had known what he had done to their pretty little red-haired friend; the pain that was projected through the forest through her screams.

A malicious grin came into place tinted with the insane glee of a madman. If he was to die, why not go down with a smile? The thought made him laugh, albeit internally. Genesis didn't want them to know his true colors yet. It was only getting more fun!

This might be the only time he ever really looked at the brunette. He would be lying if he said that she wasn't pretty. And she was beautiful, her and his target too. It was a shame he had been ordered to kill them—or well at this case be killed by one of them. Like all beautiful things, they were poisonous like the violet waves his target infected him with. If only master had permitted him to keep them, he would have a _wonderful_ time. He could have _punished_ his target. And all the _things_ he could do with their beautiful—

His train of thought stopped as the red glow had tightened around him, choking him. It seemed she may have heard his thoughts. Pretty little thing with so much power inside her, and she doesn't even know it. He smirked through the suffocating pain.

Genesis made a playful disapproving sound before croaking out, "Didn't anyone tell you that reading their minds is rude?"

She stepped forwards, glaring up at him with wrath that could rival that of a god. _This was just getting more exciting!_

"What did you do to her?" she hissed at him with so much disgust and contempt that it made him smile. Although, it faded as Genesis sighed. He couldn't blame her. He blamed his brother who was now lying face down on the cold snow. That oaf could do nothing right.

"Nothing bad," He answered nonchalantly. And suddenly he coughed feeling the glow tighten.

"You will answer the question or I will destroy your companion." She said as calmly as possible.

The silver-haired man almost laughed as he said, "I do not care for my oaf of a brother. Kill him if you please. You'd be doing me a favor." He managed to release a laugh before he was _rudely_ thrown to a tree hard enough to kill him which, fortunately for him, only knocked him out, but little did he know the poison was spreading faster than he'd like.

Wanda sighed, before she clenched her fists and Ulric's body became no more than dust. She turned around back to where her brother and friend were waiting. Aerith had looked better after a while as she was standing close to Pietro who had his arm around her waist for support. Her head lay upon the crook of his neck, peering up to her with exhaustion present in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Wanda asked, seeing the top buttons of her coat opened.

Aerith nodded, closing them hastily. Pietro cast Wanda a look. Something happened with Aerith, and they were afraid to think that they suspected right.

"What now?" she asked, bringing their attention to her.

It was a miracle she could still talk with all her screaming. Wanda cringed at the memory. She had only found Pietro then, fighting that rock of a man when Aerith's scream rang through the woods, echoing through the trees. Looking up at her brother, she saw the same emotions that were displayed earlier. It was anger, worry, and, more importantly, fear. There was another emotion that she couldn't place, but the moment Pietro had caught her staring, he would look away.

Pietro huffed. "Isn't it obvious? We continue on."

The redhead tore herself away from Pietro, stumbling backwards. "But we don't have Wang with us!" Aerith reasoned weakly, looking distressed.

Until now, it amazed Wanda how deeply Aerith cared for the scientist. And she knew how much Pietro had taken notice. It only just worried her on how Pietro would react to it.

"Listen, Aerith!" he said calmly, taking a few steps towards her. He gently placed his hand on her shoulders and looked intently in Aerith's eyes. "I don't want to tell you this, but Wang could be dead…or worse captured by HYDRA."

There were conflicting feelings that flickered in her face. And Aerith knew he was right, although had refused to acknowledge it. Wanda did not like that idea of leaving Wang as well. Her fondness over the scientist had expanded through the time they spent and he was always kind and sweet. And the fact that he would risk his life to help them escape was something they could never repay. If only her younger self would see her now. Never had she thought to find a friend in a HYDRA scientist. But as much as she wanted to get Wang back, it could not be done.

Wanda sighed. "Pietro is right." The brunette looked down at the ground. "We need to move forward."

The Maximoffs expected her to shout angrily at them, but all they got was a nod. And soon they before their journey away from the HYDRA base, but it seemed the fates had not been so kind to them. Out of nowhere Pietro was hoisted up into the air inside a net. He released an exclamation of shock as he then settled inside in the net, clearly unable to get out. Before any of the two girls could react, agents had surrounded them aiming their guns right at them.

"Don't move or we will shoot!" a voice shouted from behind the trees.

"You're no match with us." Wanda sneered with her eyes glowing red.

It was obvious enough that even with a legion of HYDRA soldiers they were not match for her. Aerith stood close to where Pietro was, already loosening the rope of the net that hung him aloft. Strucker appeared from out the woods. They were surprised at his appearance that pictured him with a three bloody gashes on his arm, and yet he stood commandingly in front of them. Still, their blood ran cold and Pietro continued to struggle in the net. His powers required running very fast, and right now those powers aren't really helpful.

"You're right," he said, moving towards them. "But something tells me that you won't resist us."

He flicked his wrist and a bloody bundle was thrown towards them. Bruises and cuts painted his body that was now colored blue and purple. His clothes were ripped, showing the lacerations he got from the whips of his captors. He shouted and wept in pain as his face collided with the floor. Slowly, the bloody man lifted his head up and they were all horrified on what they saw. His face was wrecked as his nose bled and was angled in a contouring way. His jaw was broken and swollen from all the punches he got. From all the wounds he got, they knew that face anywhere. It was Wang.

First, they were shocked, then they were sad, and finally they were angry. Pietro clutched the ropes that bound him there tightly as he sat, frozen. Wanda glared at Strucker, her hands closing into a fist as she struggled to keep her powers within. Aerith stared at the bloody body with her eyes glistening with unshed tears and unbidden anger.

"We don't want any more causality, so let us be civil and go back from whence we came." He said this with coldness about him that would have terrified Aerith to the limb…if she had looked.

Never once did she look back at the menacing man. Not once. She dared not meet the eyes of the man who had ordered his puppets to do this treachery. Aerith had opted to look at Wang's broken and frail body in horror and contemplation. She did not know what to say.

 _We should have never left the base._

All three of them were silent. Seeing their hesitance, Strucker nodded to one soldier and he had stepped on a wound on Wang's shoulder, pressing it hard. Wang released a painful muffled scream. And there were pools of red, forming beneath him.

Aerith flinched at the scream, closing her eyes and looking away, letting the tears fall down. This was never the desired effect. They never wanted this to happen. They wanted to live their lives away from HYDRA's grasps, not to watch as they tortured their friend. With all their powers they had, they could not help their friend.

"Come with us," Strucker coaxed, holding out his hand, motioning for the soldier to stop. "And we shall stop his suffering."

They all knew what that would mean. He would kill him. None of them wanted to move. There was a groan and they looked back to see Wang, weakly crouching on his knees. "Don't…" Wang croaked out.

They watched as he weakly looked up at them. "D-Don't do this for me…"

His eyes were full of fear, but he had no regrets whatsoever. There was no malice or spite. His face was ruined with cuts and bruises; he had a swollen eye that nearly shut. He smiled at them with pride. If he was going to die, let it be for the right reason.

"Wang…" Aerith weakly protested.

"L-Let me die…" he smiled up at them.

Those words hung in the air. They dreaded those words. He wanted them not to go and with that it would cost his life. And what if they go with them, then they would spare him. It was a childish thought, and yet they would rather have HYDRA capture them again than their friend to die for their freedom. Wanda stepped forwards, surrendering. The redhead stumbled, walking forwards to stand next to Wanda, who held her in a comforting hug. There was a snap and Pietro fell into the cold and hard floor, the ropes of the net, falling on him and entangling him. Two soldiers came forward, but stopped when Pietro stood, stalking past them to stand next to the two women he cared most in this world.

Strucker was pleased, commanding the garrison to move out. The three enhanced were forced inside a truck, clapped in chains. They were handled roughly being thrown in the truck, but before Aerith could go inside, she saw two soldiers drag Wang's body with them.

"What are you doing to him?" Aerith demanded, sending a glare at them.

Two soldiers ignored her and put the scientist on his feet. They brought out a rope tying it two his wrists and the other end was tied to the truck.

"We're checking how fast he could run." Strucker replied, making Aerith look up at him in confusion before the realization dawned her like a two-ton boulder was smashed on her head.

Before she could say anything else, she was pushed inside, stumbling back and hitting the truck's metal floor. The redhead looked back to glare at the burly soldier that pushed her inside. It surprised her that she had recognized him. The soldier was burly with a buzzcut haircut hidden underneath his hat. He was one of the guards that used to escort her to the greenhouse. Unlike the other guards, he had shown a bit of gentleness when manhandling her (She gave him a cookie once, she remembered), but now it seemed to have changed. Aerith could not blame him. He had just seen what would happen if they affiliate themselves with Aerith or the three enhance experiments. And no cookie was there to prevent that.

The speedster stormed past her, glaring at the soldier that pushed him inside.

"You do that again," he snarled. "And you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

The fury that burned in his electric blue eyes was frightening so that it revealed the power that was hidden inside his mortal body. Even the soldier sensed that, so he grunted and walked away. Pietro clenched his fists in frustration and in anger, but he did not want to release it…not yet. Instead, he sat at the corner next to where Wanda and Aerith were now seated.

It might be a wonder why three enhanced mutants surrendered before a handful of soldiers. They would have had the powers to kill them with a flick of a wrist. Pietro could have run to grab Wang while Wanda and Aerith did the rest, disposing them all—and maybe even killing Strucker. But they didn't.

Instead, the speedster was caught, carelessly, into a net. Yes, he may be fast, but his powers revolve around running and as far as he knew, you can't run inside a net, hanging from the tree line. Aerith could have released Pietro with ease, but she knew there were electrical bolts strapped in the wire. So, if she cuts the wire, it electrocutes Pietro. Now, Wanda, being the most powerful amongst them, could have done many things, but many of those options have a consequence that could cost the price of the life of any of her dearest friends and family.

Most of all, they knew Strucker wasn't stupid. They knew their fondness for Wang and their commitment to family were stronger than their resolve to be free. Just about any of them would be willing to sacrifice everything to save one another.

The three of them sat inside a metal van, cuffed in chains too tight that their wrists turned pink. All kinds of emotions withered through each mind like a wave on the shore, bringing forth items from the sea. Through sorrow and in doubt, they held each other like the other would fade away. They were huddled in a corner with Pietro in the middle; Wanda at the left and Aerith at the right. His arms were around them, bringing them close to him like an invisible shield and warm cloak.

The redhead had to admit that it was warmer, but a stinging pain in her chest tainted that feeling. Warm tears fell on her cheeks, and she buried her face at the crook of his neck. They were going to die—no...Wang was. Strucker wouldn't kill them for they're still of use to him, but Wang was just a scientist—he's expendable. He could be replaced with just a bullet in the brain. She knew she shouldn't think like this, but the dread of her thoughts was keeping her from being positive.

And it was the truth.

There was no other reason for HYDRA to keep him alive. He was a traitor. And what made Aerith feel ashamed of it is that...she made him one.

This was not the instinctual feeling of guilt of a situation that had nothing to do with you. The thing was she had _everything_ to do with it. If she didn't allow Wang to get close to her, then maybe any of this messed up _shit_ would have never happened. And if that happened, then he wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself for them.

Now, they were haunted by the ragged breaths from outside as well as snide remarks from the people that deserved a beating. Outside, tied to the truck was Wang running like hell with no food or water or even the physical health to do it. He was tired and wounded, and it hurts them to hear him suffer and be tortured. And believe them, when they say they wanted to help—that they wanted to stop this truck and heal their friend, but they couldn't.

With their surrender, they had formed a silent agreement with Strucker. The agreement was to stay docile or Wang dies. And there were no other alternatives to contradict to that. The truck stopped, confusing them. They might had been there already at the ba—

 _BANG!_

* * *

 _A/N: Yup. It's a cliffhanger. Don't kill me. But yeah, suspect the next chapter hopefully by the end of August. It's my examinations this week, so my schedule is pretty filled up but I'll try to sneak WWF in my free time. So, let me know what you think about this chapter with a review or maybe even PM me, either way it's fine._

 _Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Do not forget to review! :)_


	13. Warning Signs

_A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter. I took a lot of thought into this and things are finally setting into motion. Bear with me guys with this story. I know it's a bit slow to begin with. I just wanted for you guys to familiarize yourself with Aerith and Wang a bit more as the events of the movie finally start. Thank you for all those that continued reading this story and appreciated it. I hope this chapter does not disappoint you. And hopefully, I might update soon for the next chapter :) Now, I would not waste your time, and just go ahead and enjoy the chapter._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OC(s)._

* * *

Chaos ensued outside as the soldiers ran around in haste. There were orders being shouted through the forest as they retreated quickly to the base. There was no warning; just nothing but the faint sounds of guns blazing and explosives going off. Although the source of those sounds lay in the other side of the forest to which they are trying to go to. In their haste, they had no time to torture Wang any longer.

The bonds were cut and the battered scientist fell to his knees in exhaustion, passing out on the cold floor. Two guards pulled him up by his arms, dragging him to the truck. If they had a choice in it, they would have left the already useless man on the side of the road or maybe put a bullet in his brain to give him mercy. Alas, it was not their orders. They needed him alive. He is—in fact—the leverage they need to control the enhanced. As long as he was alive, they would obey HYDRA for the sake of his life. His blood trailed on the white snow as the two guards hauled him to the boot of the truck. His legs were unmoving, getting scratches and cuts because of the rocks, pebbles, and sticks they slide over. They opened it up, revealing a huddled and confused trio. Without a second more, they threw Wang's body inside, not caring for the smacking sound it created.

Aerith departed from Pietro's embrace, rushing over to Wang's body. Worry was etched on her face as she turned his body around to take in his appearance. He looked awful—just bloody horrible like he had been run over by a car several times. He smelled horrible too. The redhead pulled up her coat's sleeve to her nose, blocking out the stench of sweat mixed with blood and pus.

Putting two fingers on his neck, she looked for a pulse. "He's alive." Aerith breathed out, relieved.

The tension in all three of them was released somewhat as the threat of him dying was still near. And at the state of their friend, all three wanted to throw up. None of them had seen anything as gruesome as this even with the twins' time on the streets when they were kids.

"They are going to pay for what they had done." Pietro growled, looking at Wang's body. He clenched his fist as his body trembled with fury.

"Even if so—" Wanda said. "—we are still under their leash."

The truck shook as it took off again, making them stumble a bit.

"Then let's hope that whatever is happening to them outside would free us." Pietro said. He looked at Aerith who was examining Wang's wounds. "Could you heal him?"

"Yes, I could but not completely. Some of these wounds are superficial which is easier to heal." Aerith said; her brows furrowed in concentration. "But he has two broken ribs which if I don't treat them now might puncture his lungs. He's also bleeding internally which is making this more difficult."

"How much time would this take?" Wanda asked.

"I suspect much from all his injuries, but I'll do my best." Aerith sighed, removing his coat and pulling his black sleeves up.

Blood wafted in the room, the copper in the wind, invigorating all the flies. They were swatted away, of course, but not by Aerith. The redhead can communicate with plants and animals, but she couldn't communicate with insects at all. They beadily swirled around them and the bloody body they found interested in. And while these blood-sucking insects were not welcome, they would die. A red glow appeared around them and they were destroyed without further notice.

Ice broke apart and melted into water, flowing across the body, removing the blood and disinfecting them. They swirled around his limbs, taking the dirt off and purifying themselves away. Gently, they scrubbed his skin clean, careful not to irritate it. They remained steady as the car would jerk violently, knocking the three off their feet. The water would flow itself away and out of the truck, making themselves snow again.

Wang's life hangs in the balance.

His body lay upon the cold, metal floor whilst his head lay on Aerith's lap. Her red coat covered his body, trying to keep him warm. As the water cleared, translucent streams of light float around his body, swirling like a river. Carefully, Aerith waved her hands, guiding the streams to sow Wang's torn flesh easily like strings on a wooden puppet.

Pietro watched the dancing lights, and the wave of each hand and the flick of her delicate fingers. It was like watching a pianist playing a complex but gentle sonata. In the deepest corners of his mind, he could almost hear the music, fluttering in the wind. It was sorrowful yet beautiful, and different as well. The lights would bind themselves around some of the wounds, dispersing when it was fully healed. Some went inside his body, leaving his veins glowing as they repair the damage from inside.

Watching her work was like watching Wanda practice, his twin would swirl her hands around in an almost similar fashion. Wanda had a deep crimson glow that looked strangely beautiful like flares of fire or those solar flares that Wang used to show them when he let them watch documentaries. They covered her hands like a gathering storm at her fingertips. It was beautiful, but dangerous with all the items she could destroy with the flick of her wrist. If she could destroy a square block of wood in an instant how much more if it was with a person? To know that in her fingertips not only can she levitate objects and destroy them, she can read minds and see what you fear most and make them come true; hallucinations that seem so real, it's like a nightmare than came to life. And the red glow in her eyes would make anyone quiver in fear.

This was why she is called _The Scarlet Witch_.

Aerith, on the other hand, was completely different but share a common trait with Wanda's. It was beautiful. There were many layers to her powers—some even unknown even to herself. She had power over nature and the animals around them. While Wanda's powers come with a shade of crimson, Aerith's powers came in all different shades and sizes. In fact when she controls the plants around them, nothing glows on her hands at all, but you can see the swirl of green around her eyes. The glow would come when she would create flowers and planets of her own making. The glow would swirl around her in different colours, depending on the flower.

When she controls fire, it dances around her fingertips, blazing bright in blue, orange, and even violet; you can see the fiery swirl in her eye. When you control air, the air would swirl around her body in clear wisps, almost seeming like it was going to make her fly; her eyes silver grey like a mirror that reflects your soul. When she controls water, the element would swirl around her fingers like a snake or a cloth treading through, and her eyes reflecting the shade of the sea. She always had trouble when it comes to water. Earth came easier to her, and then came along fire, and air, but water seemed to elude her mastery.

Wang would always joke that Aerith was some kind of _Avatar_ , but none of them could get his reference.

Then it came, the power she was using now on the body that mentored her.

These streams of light were like the northern lights above the North Pole as Wang would always describe it. They drifted through the air, delicately. This was one of the powers she does not use as often—only when any of them got a bruise or wound—but she used it enough to understand how it worked and how to control it. There were two features for these streams. The first one is the one she's using now on Wang. It's a tangent stream of light that glows cyan with a mixture of sea blue and gold. This is a stream that for healing. And then there is the second one. It was wispy stream of midnight blue light that borders on the edge of it being violet. This was the complete opposite of the former. This was deadly and lethal. This stream corrodes the body, killing them internally. It would feel like billions of poisoned daggers, cutting your flesh and burning your blood.

This is why they called her _Nightshade_.

It was almost scary to know what Wanda and Aerith can do, but he knows not to fear it because he knows that the power is held by the right hands. And that was enough for him.

As soon as the lights disappeared, Aerith leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Healing could take a lot of energy from her, but the good thing was that she recharges quickly. Using Wanda's jacket that his sister offered up, they rolled it and made it into a pillow to replace Aerith's thigh. Afterwards, the telekinetic decided to take a short nap to gather her wits amongst the mess that happened in the day. The redhead went back to the twins, carefully not to trip when the truck shook again.

Automatically, Pietro reached out his arm, wrapping his arm around her waist; keeping her from falling. He looked up from where he was seated to see the surprise in her eyes, but she said nothing. The truck shook again, making her grip his shoulders, starring down at him. He could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. Whatever Pietro did or even thought was washed away as he could barely keep his eyes away from hers. His fingers burned as he felt the heat radiating from her, comforting him in the harsh winds; the fabric of her dress so soft to touch.

The truck shook again. Her fingers were delicate in her touch as she gripped his shoulders for support; the softness of her hands just inches about from his neck, wanting to be touched. They were so close. Pietro didn't even need to look to know how close they were to each other as the magnificent warmth she gave him was enough indication.

The truck returned to its usually reasonable balance, but he did not let her go—in fact, he never wanted to let her go.

His breathing was shakily as he tried to slow his quickened heartbeats. There was something that shined in his eyes that he, Aerith, nor even Wanda (if she was awake) could identify. Out of mindless thought, he reached out with his free arm, wrapping his hand around her hand. Hers was so small compared to his hand that covered hers completely. Her skin was soft to touch—even if she worn the leather cut-off gloves. The fingers were enough for him to catch a glimpse of what to feel. Pietro brought her hand up to his lips, brushing them against his. He heard her breath hitch and felt her hand tremble slightly, but before they could do anything else, they were interrupted.

"Get away from her, you ass." It was a small whisper—a mumble, but loud enough to wrong their moment.

They looked to see Wang watching them through hooded eyes before falling back asleep. Before Pietro would reignite what fire the two had started, Aerith released him and walked away, settling besides Wanda who was still asleep. The redhead was silent as she huddled in a corner, hugging her legs.

They stayed silent; not knowing what to say. For once in Pietro's life, he had no idea what to do next.

God knows he's a charmer. And a good one at that, despite whatever Wanda would say. He'd know the right words to say; the right movements to do. Pietro knows how to play the game. And yet when Aerith came into his life, it changed—and he wasn't sure if that was for the better or the worse. Any and all pick-up lines he'd normally use would be disregarded as a compliment or a declaration of his friendship.

Aerith is new to the wonders of the world that sometimes made him question from what year she was originally from. Yet it was refreshing for him to watch as she curiously playing with a mundane object or two. It was even cute when she couldn't understand the function of a bedroom—which was partially his fault for misleading her.

" _Why do you need a bedroom?" Aerith asked, confused._

" _It's for sleeping in." Pietro replied simply, not exactly knowing what to answer._

 _The redhead looked at him, her head titling to the side. "So, you have an entire room for not being awake in?"_

It was explained better by Wanda, who untangled the mess Pietro had made. Back to the present of the moment he longed for yet messed up on, he contemplated. He decided that maybe talking to her again would put the awkwardness away. It was stupid of him to do it anyways. Aerith didn't understand that part at all yet nor does she quite understand what a " _more than a friend_ " is.

Pietro buried his face on his palms, sighing. What did he think of Aerith?

There were many things beyond her innocent and shy smiles that made his heart flutter to the point of it being stupid. Never in his entire life had he felt it yet Aerith had struck a chord in him. When he first laid eyes upon her, she was a damsel in distress—scared beyond her wits, but now…it was different. He saw a bright girl that sees so much good in life that Pietro's heart ached. She didn't know the horrors of how cruel the world truly is, but something told him that she did…she just couldn't remember it.

The times he had been woken up by her nightmares were always the times he'd be more protective over her. A foe that hurts her in real life is easier to defeat, but a foe that hurts her from the inside is something he is powerless to do. All Pietro could do was embrace her when it gets worse and whisper sweet nothingness in her ear. Wanda tried to help as well, but the barrier inside her mind was tricky to get through. They were in the dark on what plagues her. And with all the powers they received, they could not help the one person they wanted to help. And it happened again to Wang.

He rubbed his temples, trying to get a grip. What use are these powers when you could not protect the people that you love? Each day he becomes more worried with what could happen now to Wanda. Aerith had been plagued with nightmares into the point of delusion. Wang had been beaten into a pulp. How about Wanda? What does fate hold for his sweet dear sister? She would not like him to fuss for she can take care of herself, but it does not make him worry less.

Whatever it was in their life that made them think that volunteering for these experiments would do them any good? They volunteered to help their beloved country, but how could it be when they were made into weapons of mass destruction? How about Aerith? This was not her choice. While they walked their path into their own ruin, she stumbled on it; lost and afraid—not knowing what was happening, not even knowing who she was.

His life was a mess and his feelings even more so when war is on their doorstep yet again. And yet…Pietro looked up, watching the three of them sleep. Aerith had her legs crossed, lying on the bench while her body was slumped on the corner; her head against the wall and her arms wrapped around herself. Wanda lay on her side; her arm tucked under her head and the other dangling on the side; a curtain of hair gently fell on her face. Wang rested on his back, the coat hugging him snugly with the makeshift pillow, comfy underneath his head. The peacefulness they all shared in their sleep was enough to make Pietro break. When they wake, it would be gone. And another terror shall bring its dawn.

He swears to God above. There is nothing on this earth he wouldn't do just to see them smile again. There is nothing on earth that will take him down for him to see them in a better place. He will make sure they are safe and sound. Or God be damned until they take his breath away.

* * *

The sounds were deafening. And the roofs had rumbled, raining down dust upon their heads. The trio was shoved into a corner of the main control room, watching as they move around in haste. They all talked at the same time, delivering orders and updating the others of what other casualty had been hit by the attackers. The three were left alone, still shackled but with nowhere else to go. Wang had been brought to only God knows where while the city was taking fire, not caring about the civilians on the streets.

It was the Avengers from what they could hear from the soldiers milling about. Strucker's voice entered the PA, announcing the attack on all sectors of the base. And the frightened yet angry faces on the twins were enough for her to understand that the Avengers were not their friends. They did say that they bring chaos and death to the innocent as they supposedly protect them. As much as Aerith did not understand nor did she felt the same anger, she knew it to be wiser to trust her friends on this situation. If they say they were bad, then they were bad.

The city rumbled again and the redhead was getting more and more nervous. Explosions were new to her with their booming sounds. With her fright comes pain, Aerith could almost feel the blood, tainting the ground, and the blasts the trees have suffered. It felt terrible yet it did not drain her, but it still haunted her mind.

Something warm slipped into her fingers. Aerith looked to see fingers entwined with hers, giving her the reassurance that she needed. It was Pietro's hand, wrapped around hers, giving it the squeeze. She looked up to see a faint smile on his lips. It was quick and unsure. With all the chaos around them, it's hard to be sure on what the outcome would be.

As much as the warmth was greatly received, the chains around his wrist ruined it so.

Aerith glanced at Wanda, who looked as scared as her with the chains still wrapped around her wrist. The chains would glow red but fade again. And you can see the debate inside Wanda's head. She knew she could break their chains in one snap of her fingers, but what would happen next? The brunette just weighed all her choices, thinking of what she would do.

The redhead gave him a smile, glancing towards his sister. The silver-haired understood her meaning, but was hesitant to. Not that he didn't want to comfort Wanda, of course, he wanted to, but Wanda had him and Aerith had no one. And the redhead, by all means, was not alright especially without an emotional support in this crisis—and the said woman knew that, but insisted that he should not. Pietro is Wanda's twin after all. His allegiance and loyalty must still remain with her even as their friendship grows into something more. All the same, Pietro released Aerith's hand reluctantly before holding Wanda's hand instead.

The redhead pressed her chained wrists to her chest, leaning on the cold stone wall.

Is this what war is like? The blood splattered on the fields, the screams of agony, and the blasts from the Hell where they stood amongst it all. Was this the world HYDRA sought to cure? It was getting harder and harder to understand it all. Who are the good and who are the evil, when blood was spilt on their account? Was this justified or not? She knew how both sides of the war have their own reasons, but is this the only way? Is violence all they have left?

She had seen it in the films and documentaries Wang would show her, but they were nothing compared to what is happening right outside their doorstep. Aerith was scared beyond relief yet it disturbed how this feeling was familiar. Wherever she had been before, whoever she was back then, did she experience the horrors of war? There was a headache that rose that made her close her eyes, and for once welcomed the darkness in her sober state. Flashes appeared in her mind. She trembled. The screams echoed off her ears. The threating booms haunted her mind.

Had she been a victim of war? Had she lived amongst the chaos of it all?

The same faces that haunted her through the years of her isolation appeared in her mind, screaming for God above. It was a blur as they twirled in her mind like whirlpool she could not catch upon the palm of her hand.

Was this all that they had?

Aerith opened her eyes as the pain released its hold on her. Still she trembled, not too visible for the twins to see as they converse silently. Looking around the room again, she pondered.

In no terms had she ever thought that HYDRA would ever be good with its ideologies, but the people of HYDRA could. And to know there are good people in this institute doing bad things under the orders of a man who is truly evil was baffling. Aerith knew of Wang's reason with his father forcing him to become one with HYDRA, but what of the others? She knew she did not mention it to anyone else even the twins and Wang, but she had met soldiers in this damned base that didn't want to be a part of any of this. One of them was a soldier she healed when she had _demonstrated_ her powers in front of Strucker.

He was just like Wang—he wasn't obviously an awkward super genius with that love of anime, but he was forced into this work. It may not be because of a family legacy, but fate had forced his hand. Aerith knew there was something different about him. With the way of speaks to the way he acts with just her around, it was completely different. Many of these soldiers around her had an accent the same as the twins, some are American, maybe even British, but with this particular soldier it was unique. His voice was soft as the wind, it blows; it was also light like a feather. She had asked her why it was different and he told her that he's originally from Mexico.

Aerith scanned the room with her gleaming blue eyes. It landed on a soldier that rushed to talk with another soldier on the phone. He had tanned skin and he wasn't that tall, but still taller than Wang, Wanda, and her; definitely muscly. He had long messy black hair that was until the nape of his neck, and scruff that added to his charm. As the soldier on the phone talked, the man's stare drifted on to hers. His soft brown eyes bore into hers, sending a silent message of reassurance.

Then Dr. List came into view, arriving after he had gone to see Wang. He called over the soldier and their stares broke. Aerith looked away and opted stare at the ground.

"Yes, Dr. List?" she could hear him say.

"Unshackle them," Dr. List ordered. "They are my patients, not animals."

"Yes, sir."

There was a sound of dangling keys and footsteps that fast approached them. It wasn't just one set, but three.

"What do you want?" Wanda's voice rang out as a spiteful whisper.

There was no reply, but the sounds of metal meeting metal. There was a struggle from the corner of her eyes as two soldiers unshackled the twins roughly. There were footsteps that approached her, but she dared not to look. Her sight remained on the cold floor until a pair of boots came into view. There was tension inside her body as someone unshackled her. It wasn't rough and quick, but gentle and precise unlike the other two with the twins. Something warm enveloped her wrists as the cold metal left her skin in careful seconds. She expected the warmth to go away, but they lingered.

"Do not fret, Aerith _._ " A familiar husky voice whispered in her ear. "I'll get the scientist out."

"Do you promise that you will, Elias?" she whispered back.

Something touched her chin. Her head was lifted up gently to meet with such familiar brown eyes. Elias smiled at her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yes…" He whispered, enveloping his fingers around hers. "I'll do everything for _mi rosa de invierno_."

Elias brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them softly before he hand to let go lest his and her companions suspect a thing. There was a ruckus besides them as Pietro's anger seethed, clenching his fists. Elias did not want a fight to start, so with a commanding voice he ordered them away. He moved away from Aerith, giving her a small glance before he saw the silver-haired mutant glare at him like he was a monster. Elias continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"I'd kill them if they did that again." Pietro growled.

"I can take care of myself." Wanda said firmly.

Pietro looked at Aerith, who absentmindedly looked at nothing. He saw the way that soldier looked at her, and he didn't like that. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked softly.

Aerith shook her head, giving him a smile. "No, he didn't."

* * *

The earth rumbled and dust fell on his face, making him spit whatever came in his mouth. This was the worst day of his life—and he had many of those. He coughed, his throat feeling dry. His sight was blurry and bright, but he could hardly care. What he did care about is the nasty headache he was experiencing like he just woke up after a night of being drunk. There were swooshing sounds and he knew there was someone with him, but he was thankful that he didn't beat him up in his already bruised and terrible state. All he wanted now was water—and plenty of it. Wang tried to sit up, feeling the numbness of his body but as well as the odd lack of pain.

The earth rumbled again and he tried to sit up. This reminded him of all those high school mornings, when he'd wake up after a night's beating from bullies or from dad. Can that old bastard ever leave him alone? There was a pain on his side and he groaned, garnering the attention of the person with him.

There was a clink and footsteps approaching him.

 _Please don't beat me up. Please don't beat me up. Please don't beat me up whoever you are. Think about my children! Wait! I don't have children. Eh, someday I might. Please don't beat me up. Please. Don't. Beat. Me. Up._

When he expected a kick to the gut, it was just a gentle nudge on his shoulder. To his surprise, someone was helping him sit up. Gladly, he did so, disregarding whatever punishment this was. He leaned on something soft like a marshmallow. It felt like heaven to his aching back—god he felt so old. There was something cold that touched his lips. At first, he was afraid it was a knife, but after a while, it just turned out to be a metal cup of—WATER! Greedily, he drank, not caring that he spilled some on his shirt. The taste of clear, clean water overflowed him with joy as it quenched his thirst.

"Easy there." Someone said.

Wang blinked open his eyes to get a grip of his surroundings. He was lying on a cot in the same lab they did the phases on the enhanced. Fear gripped him. He looked around abruptly, his sight landed on a quite Latino-looking soldier.

"What are we doing here?" he asked, making sure the quiver in his voice didn't show.

"They put you here for you to be—"

"You aren't going to make me into an enhanced, right?" Wang interrupted. "Because if they did, I would totally not be responsible and I wouldn't be surprised if my powers were just making unicorns and rainbows appear."

The soldier raised a brow. "No, they aren't making you into an enhanced—"

"Wait!" Wang interrupted, panicking. "Are you going to torture me?! OH MY GOD YOU'RE HERE TO TORTURE ME!"

The soldier just crossed his arms, waiting for the scientist to calm down from his panic mode. Wang hyperventilated, trembling in fear. A paper bag was giving to him by the soldier and he quickly accepted it, breathing in and out in the paper bag.

"As I was saying," the Mexican accent clear in every word the soldier said. "They are not making you into an enhanced nor are they going to torture you—at least not anymore—"

"Well that's reassuring!" Wang commented sarcastically, interrupted the man again.

The soldier deadpanned. And Wang sheepishly gestured him to continue, opting not to be beaten up by a _not-so-tall-but-still-taller-than-me-soldier-that-looks-like-he-could-still-break-me_.

"In shorter words, I'm breaking you out." He said, bluntly.

"Okay." Wang said calmly before he snapped back into panic mode. "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BREAK ME OUT? THERE ARE LIKE A LOT OF SOLDIERS RUNNING AROUND AND IT'S GOING TO BE SO FUCKING OBVIOUS FOR A LATINO SOLDIER WALKING WITH AN _obviously handsome_ ASIAN SCIENTIST. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU BUT I'M SURE THEIR NOT JUST GOING TO BUY THE WHOLE _boss-ordered-me-to-take-him-outside-_ LIKE HELL THAT WOULD WORK _—"_

The soldier threw something at him, making him stop for a moment. He held and looked at it, his eyes bulging out. It was a HYDRA soldier uniform. The uniform was just like the soldier that was helping him except that it came with a hat.

"Suit up." The soldier said, dragging the dead bodies (that Wang clearly didn't see before) in a place no one can find.

Wang didn't say another word. He just quickly took off his clothes to wear the uniform. It was alright, a bit loose since the owner must have been really muscly than him. It did fit him right which made him happy that he wasn't the only short man in the base. He glanced at the soldier that helped him to see him dressed a dead soldier that looked at bit like him to his old tattered clothes. So, he was making a diversion to make them think he was still here…huh…very smart.

The soldier got his glasses too, giving him a pair of contacts instead. Not that he could have used a different pair of glasses. Wang's glasses were one of things that made him Wang—plus they were his grandfather's glasses. Damn, he needs to let that go.

Once he was done, he ran his fingers through his hair to put them inside his c—wait _where were his curls?_ He remembers very clearly that he had curly hair—very, very clearly.

"Uh, what happened to my hair?" he asked, looking at the soldier.

"They cut it before I got here." The soldier said, nonchalantly, getting the weapons from the dead soldiers and looking at them.

There was a crash and the soldier looked to see Wang sprawling to get a mirror. The scientist was in shock as he looked at the mirror.

"MY HAIR!" Wang exclaimed.

With all the exclamations this scientist had, he was surprised no one had stopped to kill them yet.

His (beautiful) black curls were gone and replaced with straight short hair that almost made the scientist whimper in sadness. As much as he would not admit it to anyone else, he loved his hair. He loved that he got his mother's uncontrollable curly hair. It's probably part of the few physically traits he got from his mom (includes his height). And as much as he wanted it back, he knew now was not the time to fret for it. They were in the middle of an attack. The soldier did mention that he Avengers were the ones attacking which emerged conflicting feelings about the subject. He did mean for them to attack the base, but the timing was just wrong and besides…what was he going to tell the trio?

God knows Pietro and Wanda hate them because of a certain billionaire playboy philanthropist. There were two ways they could have handled: 1) they would listen to him explain. 2) They'd hate him and kill him, and think he betrayed them. It was hard enough to think about the twins' reaction, but how about Aerith's? She's going to be torn apart. When they find out about Wang's involvement, she is, undoubtedly, forced to choose between the twins and him.

Wang hated the fact that he did this behind everyone's back, but the Avengers were the key to finally setting them free from this hellhole, and it honestly worries him how that would end. As much as the stress of the situation was getting to him, he has to deal with some Good Samaritan of a HYDRA soldier that had just risked his life to break him out…which reminds him…

"Why are you doing this?" Wang looked at the soldier expectantly.

The man handed him a huge gun that made Wang's eyes bulge out. "I made a promise." The soldier said strapping his guns on.

"To whom?"

The soldier smiled wistfully. " _Mi rosa de invierno."_

Okay, he did not know what the hell he just said, but why not? Sure. It's not like he's going to lead him to his certain doom. Quickly, the walked out of the lab, walking as if they were going out to aid HYDRA soldiers when in fact it was the perfect excuse to get away. The cap on Wang's head was a bit big as it covered his eyes from time to time. They marched in a secluded hallway with light up ahead. And in the impending doom that was going to happen might as well have small talk.

"What's your name, soldier boy?" Wang asked in a chirpier tone, hiding the nervousness behind it.

"Bonifacio—"

"You're telling me that you're the Father of the Philippine Revolution?" Wang joked, looking at him.

 _Bonifacio_ raised a raised brow bemusedly, making Wang feel a bit awkward. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a history buff. My mom is Filipino actually. And I used to read all these things about the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards which is pretty awesome—if you ask me…" Wang rambled. "And Bonifacio is one of the most intelligent Philippine revolutionaries in that era, but it was a shame that he was executed under the orders of President Aguinaldo—I'm sorry, I'm rambling about history again."

"Do not be sorry for what you are passionate about." he said. "Besides, I had been warned before of your ramblings."

"Seriously?" the scientist looked at, confused. "By who? Your mee Rosa di inferno?"

A chuckle escaped from the soldier's mouth that the scientist's attempt to pronounce his little pet name to Aerith. "Yes, and she is worried for you very much."

"She?" Wang pondered before a realization dawned to him. "Leia sent you?!"

There was warmth that coursed through his chest at the thought of his sister, sending someone to help him like the Avengers weren't enough. And while gladness took him, he did not see the confused face on Bonifacio's face.

"I do not know any Leia?"

And like the fast rushing wind, it blew the candle out and Wang was enclosed with a sinking cold feeling again. So…his sister didn't send him…but she must have informed the Avengers that he was here. It's not like Leia would leave him to die, right?

At least, the mystery girl cared for him, but who could it be? He decided to think about that later with the headache that waded through his head. He hated it; the numbness of certain parts of his body that accompanied a deep throbbing pain inside him. From what he remembered through his beatings, he should have experience a whole lot of pain. In his brief moments of consciousness before making up back the base, he remembered being in some kind of car with the enhanced trio. Probably Aerith healed him like any other day he bruised his face through hitting walls or tripping down stairs. He's not going to deny that he's clumsy as fuck. It was just a miracle he hasn't killed himself yet—well he almost did, but it didn't actually count.

They returned into silence when they approached and joined a group of soldiers on their way to the battlefield. Fear gripped Wang's heart as he tried his best to look as soldier-y as possible. It's the first time he had done this and it was one of the most disconcerting things he had done in his life. They marched right outside with their heavy guns plastered onto them. Bonifacio had told him to stick near him the whole time and keep his head low, and he did just that. They marched through the halls, approaching a wide open door; the sounds of battle where getting nearer. Wang tried to make a brave face, considering he wasn't supposed to show any fear in his disguise or else he'd be caught.

Is this what soldier have laid upon them? While he could have cowered away in a lab, these soldier fight with their lives at the edge of knife—one small mistake, one small moment to end your life. Is this the horror they are forced to undergo, not knowing if they'd live or die? Fighting for something they may or not believe…for love, for duty, for the ideals that they sought for—are these what HYDRA soldiers fight for? Or is this feat just a trick of puppetry that this _institution_ had brainwashed into them?

Wang looked at the soldier besides him. Bonifacio was quiet yet his eyes had expressed many things. He didn't know what to think about the man, only that he was trustworthy enough with the fire that blazed in his eyes. It wasn't hatred—even if it was clear that Bonifacio did not agree on HYDRA's ideals. It was something else. He was fighting for something. Something he loved and more willing to defend with a passion. And Wang thinks he knows what—or rather who it is.

He just hopes she's worth fighting for.

* * *

A blast shot through a tree trunk as he ducked out of the way, shooting an explosive arrow to the enemy.

"Yeah, I think. We lost the element of surprise."

Clint scanned the forest, shooting any and all targets at sight. He never missed. The mission that brought them here was supposed to be quick as they took down the HYDRA base—obviously that didn't go their way. Clint shot another arrow, letting the bunker explode as he moved through tree to tree as a defense mechanism. This wasn't just a takedown to a HYDRA base that possibly held Loki's scepter, but as well as a rescue party.

A distress call had been activated by one of Clint's former colleague's wife which happens to be the sister of the said hostage. Clint always knew Wang was too good to be a HYDRA agent, but the kid's "betrayal" still stung him hard. If it wasn't because Leia's long hormonal rant about how their father forced him to HYDRA, then he wouldn't be here, trying to rescue the kid. Besides that, he always thought at Wang being an agent for HYDRA was just too wrong.

From the days before this whole mess, he remembered the first time he had met Wang. The kid was one of the top researchers on the whole Thor's hammer thing in New Mexico. During that time, he was short and scrawny with a mass of black curls on his head and a pair of round glasses that reminded him of Harry Potter. He had a face of innocence that just didn't belong in a group of cold-faced scientist. The kid was always around him for some reason—even joining him at his nest with a bunch of food in hand. And in those days, he connected with him. Wang would blabber on and on about his favorite shows, food, games, and anime to the point that even Clint got curious enough to explore his whole anime spectrum. It seemed good enough—he watched cartoons and all that, and remembered that deadpanned face Wang gave him for calling anime a cartoon.

The archer smiled a little bit, dodging another blast and shooting another arrow. It was always fun to hang out with Wang. It just got even more interesting when it turned out Natasha had met him too. Rare it was to see Natasha casually teasing the kid with a genuine look of amusement—or at least, it looked genuine.

Speaking of Natasha, she had been one of those that connected with Wang the most with the prospect of being forced to do something you didn't want to do. In the assassin's eyes, Wang still had some humanity left in him that shouldn't be taken away. Even if Wang was on his early thirties, he still looked like a kid and even acted like one in some occasions, but that's what makes Wang who he is—the youthfulness that he seemed to possess amidst the darkness of reality.

Clint just hopes that at the end of the day, Wang still got it, and quite preferably he's still in one piece.

He ran through the glen, stopping behind a tree. He listened as the bullets shot through the wind before he prepared an arrow and shot at the bunker behind him. Clint turned back, expecting to hear the impending boom from his arrow. There was silence and he looked to see the bunker had not exploded. He nocked an arrow again to shoot, but something pushed him, flinging him to the ground with a groan.

He groaned, getting up to see a young silver-haired man dressed casual clothing walk next to him. There was a smug look at him as he said almost mockingly,

"You didn't see the coming?"

The boy disappeared into a blue before Clint rose up with an arrow nocked. He brought his bow down, but as he was distracted, he didn't notice the bunker had aimed and shot him at his side.

This definitely was not his day.

* * *

 _So there's Clint! I hope this chapter is okay for you all. If I had any grammar mistakes or anything just tell me in a review or simply PM me. :)_


	14. Ashes to Ashes

_A/N: Okay, I'm back with this new chapter for When Winter Fell. I actually posted another story while trying to write this chapter. The story is called "Sound & Vision" which is an experimental story of mine that is a crossover with BBC's Merlin and Harry Potter. I don't know if any of you are interested, but check it out if you are. Thank you to all those you reviewed, followed, and favourited. I hope I keep this story still interesting. And now that's done, let's proceed to the chapter and enjoy._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

* * *

"Holy shi—"

 _BOOM!_

He jumped away from an incoming explosion, barely escaping it. There was a threatening boom not far from where he stood. The cold winter coiled around the skin of his arms like a snake with its prey. The enemy was here…or at least HYDRA's enemy.

 _Pain._

That was the very first thing that registered in Wang's mind. He opened his eyes hazily with the sound of a high pitch buzz rang in his ears. He stood up from where he was flung to, looking around the place. There were corpses on the floor, covered in snow and blood. He remembered what happened now. The base was under attack and he was in the middle of a battlefield. His surroundings spun in his sight as he looked at the gruesome display. The smoke was everywhere flowing into a mist. He looked around and only saw destruction and death.

Looking at the corpses, he recognized a few of them. They were his colleagues, lying on the floor with no life in them. They can be cold bastards, but he had worked with them for years, and despite their wicked ideals, Wang knew them. And he betrayed them.

A cold stung pierced his heart in the realization. He did this. He brought this destruction and this death…and because he couldn't bear to watch his friends suffer their ways. And thinking of this now, he could have said this was a mistake.

The scientist coughed as he heard loud sounds around him still raging on. Gunshots were fired and so were the frightening booms of explosions. Wang was yanked away lest he be shot, going through the forest again. He hyperventilated in worry and thought. Maybe it was a mistake. He knew that calling the Avengers could risk so much lives especially that of Pietro, Wanda, and Aerith. He wasn't even sure if those three would even appreciate the Avengers' liberation of them. God knows that Pietro and Wanda despise Tony Stark, and he's part of the whole Avengers, so the twins hate them all which would cause problems of escape and explanation. Once the twins find out it was he that called for them, they would feel betrayed; probably more betrayed than they already are.

For Aerith's case, he didn't know what to think. There was no reason for her to hate the Avengers, but she had grown to think that they were bad men by the influence of the twins. In her mind, they might as well be as bad as HYDRA, but that was just his guess.

The guns blazing; the complete chaos around him was starting a heart attack inside him if he lasts in this place any longer. Something gripped his arm again and he was dragged away by Bonifacio, or rather Elias as he later had learned is his first name. They ran through the forests with Elias protecting him from every angle. The way Elias shot those soldiers—shot those men that he might have been friends with was terrifying in every aspect. All bullets met their marks, delivering a swift death to them. It made Wang wonder where he had come from.

"Look out!" Elias pushed him out of the way as a soldier was thrown between them.

The ground was cold and hard by his sudden impact, making him rethink all those days playing on the snow. The scientist looked up to see the soldier's limp body. He shouldn't be startled anymore with all Hell around him, and yet he still couldn't remove the haunting images in his head. It was Death—all around him. Death, a natural phenomenon that is viewed as ghastly and taboo or even joyous and much awaited. Something natural that comes at the end of your battery days. He didn't like thinking of death. He didn't like saying goodbye. Sometimes he blamed Aerith for bringing up the question of it in one of their earlier conversations. It's been years since then, but he still couldn't forget it. Wang wasn't naïve. He knows that they would eventually die, but the way of how he is to die was questionable.

How did he want to die?

Certainly, he wanted to live through his life first, but did he want to die young with a bang? Or die old in an empty bed hooked on a machine and surrounded by nurses? He was fairly certain that the prior was more likely with his line of work, but it still bothered him how there were people younger than him that suffer a fate worse than this.

There was pressure again on his arm and he was hauled back up to his feet by Elias. Elias didn't seem like he was afraid—in fact it seemed as if he seen this before. A man such as him had been hardened by war—with its sights and its smells; with its bloodcurdling sounds. Wang knew that men like Elias employed by HYDRA didn't have a good life. Some were forced into it by means of last resort to support their families; some are there to start over from their barren lives. He wondered what drove Elias to HYDRA—obviously it wasn't their ideals, but if he was doing this for someone, is it possible that there is a mole in HYDRA? It almost seemed so amusing and confusing for him.

And if you think wondering during a battle is a good thing, it's not.

Wang plopped down on the hard ground, groaning as he felt a thrumming pain on his back. He lifted up his gaze to see Elias battling another soldier in the same uniform.

"TRAITOR!" The soldier shouted, pulling out a huge knife, intending to stab Elias, but he was fast. He dodged the advance, grabbing the soldier's arm, and breaking it in one swift action. What was more terrifying in that scene were his moments. Wang could be delusional, but did he just use the Vulcan nerve pinch? Elias kicked the soldier's leg from under him, and the soldier smacked on the ground with a loud crack. Four more men charged at him. It was scary how fast Elias was. If he had blinked, he would have missed it. Wang didn't know whether it was just Elias' special skill set and training or if it was something else entirely. If only the scientist wasn't busy watching Elias, he would have heard the knife being drawn from its sheath.

A twig snapped and he stood up and turned around to see another soldier with his knife at his side. Fear gripped his heart as he looked for his shoulder to see Elias fighting another four soldiers. He stumbled back in a feeble attempt to get away. Yet he could not tear his eyes away from the cause of his certain doom. The knife's metal was shiny as its dim sheen could be seen. God help him. If only he could move his legs more than just feeble backtracks as the soldier got closer.

"Elias!" He called out weakly as the soldier continued his menacing march towards him. His the sound of his heartbeat made his head ache.

"Elias! I-A little help here!" He yelled.

There was a crash from behind, signalling that his saviour had company. The soldier stared at him—a blank look in his eyes, causing him terror. This was it. He could feel the fear grip him tight with his head screaming at him to flee, but he couldn't. He could see his breath visible in the cold weather, showing how deeply the soldier had affected him. Alas when Wang prayed to God for something, he fell on his back. Feebly, he tried to crawl backwards away from the soldier.

Looking as if he had enough, the soldier lunged at him. And in that moment, Wang closed his eyes. And feebly shielded his face with his arms, he shouted one last time,

"ELIAS!"

Wang expected mass pain at any part of his body, making him scream. He expected to weak and drowsy with the loss of blood. He imagined death to be so bittersweet. Apparently…not. Wang opened his eyes and was shocked to see the sight. The soldier was still standing, but his bloody knife was now on the snow-covered ground. It wasn't Wang's blood, but his own. There was a huge blood-covered branch that went through the soldier's gut. The branch recoiled, leaving the soldier standing. There was shock in the man's eyes as he looked at the hole the branch left. He dropped to his knees as Wang stood, looking around.

There was no sight of red hair anywhere. How did that branch come alive and stab that soldier and save? The only person who can do that was Aerith, but she wasn't in the vicinity…unless there was another one…no, no, no. NO. He recognized this…It was…oh god—she managed to do it!

"David!"

Wang spun around to the mention of his first name. Elias jogged towards him, his uniform covered with blood that the scientist was sure wasn't his. He stopped to see the body next to Wang with wide eyes. They nodded to each other, having a silent agreement. Before the explanations, they needed to get out of the battle first.

Yet something hit his back that made Wang curse in pain. He looked around to see a soldier, holding some weird gun. He reached at his back to find something metallic that looked like a tranquilizer, but he didn't feel drowsy nor sleepy. The soldier just looked as confused as they were, looking at the gun as if there was something wrong with it. Wang and Elias shared a look before the Latino soldier promptly shot the shooter, pushing Wang forward into a steady jog.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"You just saved, so yeah, I guess."

"No, I mean—"

"Ah, the tranquilizer thingy." Wang said. "It's no biggie."

"Are you sure?" Elias pressed on.

Wang sighed. "God, you sound like Aerith when I tripped over the duck pond."

"A duck pond?"

"Never mind!"

Whatever he was shot with wasn't really working, seeing as he's still alive. Although, the more he ran the more exhausted his legs felt which he tried to ignore, but little did he know how important a sign that was.

* * *

There were no words to describe how possibly idiotic this plan was.

Wanda lurked in the dark corners on her way through familiar pathways. She knew what Pietro was suggesting about taking the Avengers out—in fact, all three of them knew. This was the day Tony Stark would get what he deserved. The Merchant of Death would know their pain. Alas, they could not charge out right for when you threaten Stark, you threaten the Avengers as well. The enhanced trio wouldn't fight them outward—just play with them. Right now, her brother had already departed out into the forest, leaving Aerith and Wanda in the base. She had questioned the reason why the redhead stayed, but she said that she had another idea.

Yes. The forest may, technically, be her natural habitat, but it was too risky for Aerith to go off there on her own especially since those psycho grey-skinned mutants came along. And unlike Pietro, who could easily get away from them, she has a higher chance of being captured. Thankfully, she had another way in fighting using the forest while staying inside the base. It had come to as a shock for Wanda since she witnessed it herself. The amount of power that Aerith kept hidden from HYDRA was astonishing. Some kind of orb concealed her and in it, the flower girl had use the forest as her advantage. And now, she has eyes, ears, and hands in the battle.

Wanda remembered Wang called it _Sleeper Mode_. While Aerith remains conscious and attached to the orb, her mind is at the forest. It's like the forest is her body. She had control the trees by her will, hear everything, and see everything. The only downside to this was if she gets hurt, she will feel that pain. She had also create a hive connection to the animals in the forest. And it was hard to master this particular mode is hard to master due to the fact that if she immersed herself too much, she would be forever bound to nature. Her real mind and body would only be a hollow shell of who she used to be. To which is the reason why Pietro had vote against it.

And clearly, Aerith didn't listen.

While their plan of action was risky, she did have to admit that this was the day they would finally have peace. She knew that they were technically helping HYDRA, and she also knew this was not the best course of action to honour Pietro and hers' parents' legacy, but what choice did she have. Sokovia was a turbulent since it is ruled by dictators. She had been a powerless girl who needed to be empowered. It has been a year—they finally got their chance.

She remembered the conversation like it only happened a few seconds ago…

 _Pietro leaned closer so his whispers can be heard by both Wanda and Aerith, "We are leaving. We won't be going down with HYDRA especially when it's in the hands of the Avengers."_

" _And how do you suppose we do that?" Aerith countered. "We tried escaping once. What makes you think we'll be lucky this time?"_

 _There was no anger in her voice, only concern. Truth, it was that the first attempt wasn't successful, but there was no reason to doubt the second._

" _We have an advantage." Pietro said. "They'll be too busy with the Avengers than with us."_

 _The two girls shared a look, contemplating before they nodded in confirmation._

Then the plan was laid out and has so far been successful.

* * *

Cold.

That was the first thing that registered in Aerith's mind. It was so cold. She couldn't see herself, just the area around her displayed like a screen. There were fading whispers and sounds came with the feeling of pain as something scorched her arm, but it didn't matter. Flashes came to her, probing her brain as scene played out before her. The soldiers were being played with by her own will of the forest. She didn't kill them—no, she played with them like mice in a maze. Doing this left a curious feeling that left her stomach churn. She was not used to this kind of resort, but the plan was to confuse them. She made the forest her playground, making the soldiers run in confusion like mindless beasts that would shoot anything within a mile's radius—even if it's their own kind.

Aerith didn't like the bloodshed that came with it, but what was done is done. There was nothing for her to amend for their destruction was brought upon their own doing or by the hands of the Avengers, but still she wished it not. Almost as if Aerith stood before the battlefield, she continued to watch as HYDRA agents fought with the Avengers. Her consciousness roamed freely, merely observing in a distance, observing in another plain. Her vision scouted through the woods with her fingers touched the barks of the trees that communicated with her. The trees, at this instance, were her eyes and her ears. Strucker had ordered them to do their biddings with the Avengers. Pietro had done just that which his "fight" with Hawkeye in the woods. Wanda had remained in the base, preying in the shadows.

Speaking of the _Earth's Mightiest Heroes_ , she now understood what Wang and the twins had meant with their sheer power. Some had most of it than others, but it didn't make them any less dangerous. She watched as the blond hammer-wielder smack the soldiers away as if they were flies. She watched as the star spangled man defeat them by the flick of his shield. The speed of a widow's bite killed more men than a bullet could in a second.

They terrified her yet fascinated her as well.

The scene changed around her to find Elias was fighting, at least, four men on hand-to-hand combat. There was a shout and her vision changed. Wang was there lying on the ground, looking scared to his bones. A soldier loomed over him, wearing the same white camouflage get-up; a knife in his hand. Aerith knew what the soldier intended to do. And without another thought, she did something she'd never thought she'd do.

A thick branch was summoned and pierced through the man's flesh. She could feel the blood the slithered down the branch and the flesh that surrounded it. She felt it—felt everything as if it was her own hand that went through. Breaking from her trance, she summoned the branch back. She should be shocked, he and been knocking HYDRA agents for a while now in her state yet it did not sit well with her, but this was the first time she ever directly killed someone.

Deciding it was better to set her sights somewhere else, her vision changed.

 _Curiouser and curiouser._

A line she'd never forget. The words she muttered in such a strange sight. Aerith caught sight of a woman with short red hair, almost the same shade as hers. The woman wore a black bodysuit with blue lines tracing her bodice which seemed to be connected to the metallic cuffs around her wrist; a gun was strapped to her hip. There was something about that seemed familiar—something about her that she should know. A throbbing pain was something to her head, but she ignored it. Aerith had to admit that the woman was very beautiful with her heart-shaped face and stunning green eyes. The woman was going somewhere, and so Aerith followed her to the strangest creature she had never seen the likes of before. It was huge with green skin. The creature almost reminded her of a human, but with bulging muscles and angry face.

Never in her life had she scene pure anger yet it did not scare Aerith at all. It merely intrigued her. He got chunks of metal from the destroyed bunker and throwing it to the ground, making Aerith flinch a little.

" _Hey, big guy._ " The redheaded woman said, garnering his attention.

The green creature spun around to look at the woman.

" _The sun's getting real low."_

There was a huff from the creature that reminded Aerith of train for some odd reason. The woman removed the glove on her left hand, crouching down, but never breaking eye contact. Aerith watched with curiosity as the woman took the hand of the green creature. The sight was truly intriguing as they communicated with hand gestures. And a moment later, something happened that she did not expect. The creature staggered back and transformed into a man. Aerith could feel the transformation of the creature from the branches he held onto.

Yet her vision was focused on the red-haired woman. There was a small smile on her face which disappeared and replaced with something more…guarded. She suspects something. The woman knows something was watching her. Aerith needed to go lest she be discovered. And away she went to farther lands this time. He was huge and green, but he wasn't a monster…at least not to her eyes. Soon, the thing had turned into his human form.

As much as she wanted to linger on watching, she knew the woman was beginning to be aware of her presence, so she went away.

* * *

There was something out there. Natasha could feel it. Eyes staring right at her through the darkness of the forest. She looked around the clearing. There was nothing there yet she could not suspend the feeling someone—or something being out there. Although, what troubled her was the feeling that came with it. Usually, it was foreboding and dangerous, but what he felt inside was something akin to calmness—like the curious stare of child that happen to look at you from across the room.

Then…it was just gone like it left.

Natasha shook the feeling off, but unable to forget the experience. Something told her that the moment was something special, but she didn't know what. These feelings always say that there was trouble ahead, but instead, this was different—making it even dangerous.

There was a rustle behind, making her aware of the area again. She listened attentively. Two footsteps, hurried like they were running but swiftly and quietly as they could. When it came near, she drew her gun and aimed, but she didn't expect the sight in front of him. A Latino soldier is in front of her; his gun aimed at her face while someone hid behind him. A head popped from behind the soldier, revealing a boy that looked younger than twenty-three. His face mostly hiding by the hat he wore, but she could discern that he had a buzzcut.

"Move the gun away and pretend you never saw us." The Latino soldier said softly, his accent clear as day.

"Why should I do that?" Natasha shot back, her gun still aimed at his head.

There was something about the soldier that seemed off, making him different from all the rest. An unsettling feeling coming towards her, but she did not allow that to show in her face. Stoic, emotionless, that was what she gave, but the soldier seemed unaffected by what men quiver in fear. Did this soldier honestly think that she would do what he asked? Clearly, he didn't know that she is the Black Widow.

"Nat?"

The voice made her stop in her tracks. It's been so long since she heard that voice. She saw moved to see the boy behind him walk from the soldier's guard. His hand raised as he removed his hat. Then, there he was found again.

"Wang?" she asked as she had seen a ghost.

"Hey, Nat." Wang said softly, smiling up at her.

There was movement from the corner of her eyes, making her grip her gun to the soldier whose aim never faltered. Wang went between them quickly, trying to play peace keeper.

"No, no, no, no" he said, panic at the edge of his voice. "The guy's a friend. He helped me escape from the base."

Natasha assessed him for a long while, looking at the soldier. Wang never failed in the prospect of good character judgement, and so she'd trust him with this choice once again. She was the first to put her weapon down, and later the soldier did so too.

"Do you have a name?" she asked him.

"Elias Bonifacio."

A sharp gasp escaped Wang, turning her attention towards him. His body began to sway as he reached for something to hold on to. Elias ran forward, catching Wang's body.

"I-I-I-I can't—I can't—I can't feel my legs." Wang said to Elias, fear and confusion clear in his voice. "I can't feel my legs. Why can't I feel my legs?!"

Natasha said something through the comms, and turned to them.

"We need to get him back to the quinjet." Natasha said, looking at Wang urgently.

"Where is it?" Elias asked.

"I'm not about to disclose that information to a HYDRA agent—"

"I'm not with HYDRA!"

"Even if you weren't you have to prove it."

"Then take a leap of faith and trust me." Elias pleaded. "David needs medical help."

* * *

" _I found Wang."_

Steve couldn't explain the relief in hearing those words. He may have not known the kid as much as Clint and Natasha did, but he knew him well enough to care. The circumstances of how the two met was something he couldn't forget. Well, how could you forget getting in an elevator in the Triskelion with a scientist handling a tall pile of folders? The fact that Wang could still manage his own was impressive. And when it was revealed he was art of HYDRA, it did sting because this was a kid that tried his best to teach him the ways of the modern world. And Wang did that with the help of _Hetalia_.

" _He has company—a friend."_

Romanoff's next words weren't exactly welcomed the same way. Who was Wang with?

" _His name is Elias Bonifacio. He apparently helped Wang escape."_

A friend in HYDRA? It didn't matter so much to him, who the man was for the moment only that Wang was there. Although, right now wasn't a good time to celebrate, but unfortunately, there was more.

" _Wang was also hit with something. He can't feel his legs. Bonifacio's carrying him back to the quinjet."_

With his shield, he knocked out another HYDRA agent as he walked through the halls of the base. He didn't know what do feel about that, but surely they can trust this Bonifacio character a little. The life of Wang is on his hands, and he prayed that Wang wasn't dead before they made it out of this war-torn country. Turning on a corner, it was luck that he happened to find Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker in the next hallway.

"Baron Strucker." Steve said as Strucker gave him a small smile. "HYDRA's number one thug."

"Technically, I'm a…thug for SHIELD."

They circled each other slowly.

"Well then, technically, you're unemployed." Steve retorted. "Where's Loki's sceptre?"

"Don't worry," Strucker began to say. "I know when I'm beat…You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope."

"I'll put it right under human experimentation." Steve said in fake joviality. "How many are there?"

There was a force that knocks him down the stairs, taking him off-guard. Steve got up quickly, stepping up. He looked to see a woman with brown hair and glowing red eyes, quickly leaving and the shutting the door.

"We have a second enhanced." He said through the comm. "Female. Do not engage."

Steve looked at Strucker, who began to say: "You'll have to be faster than—"

Steve didn't let Strucker finished as he stepped on his shield, flipping it and while it was in mid-air he kicked it again, knocking the German out.

"Guys, I got Strucker." He said in the comm.

" _Yeah, I got…something bigger."_ Tony said as Steve cuffed Strucker.

There was clink behind and he turned around to see a bird in the air, nipping the wall, making a sound as if to call his attention—at least that's what it sounded like. Maybe he was just exhausted or is he really thinking that the bird is calling his attention?

Before he could do anything, the bird flew into the dark passageway where the woman from earlier emerged from. The reason why Steve chose to follow was beyond him. He followed the bird into the lowest level. It was damp at this part of the base, making Steve wonder where the bird brought him. For a while, he lost the bird until there was clinking sound again. There he found the bird again, clinking on the wheel of a watertight door.

Returning his shield to his back, he held the wheel, moving it until the door opened. There was light inside, confusing Steve. He opened the door and stepped inside to see a greenhouse he did not expect. Why would there be a greenhouse in a HYDRA base?

He found the bird again on his shoulder, chirping at him. Tony will definitely never let this one go. The bird flew forwards again, navigating him through the maze the greenhouse seemed to be until he reached a large sea of wildflowers accompanied with luscious green. Steve stopped for a moment to admire the view. Beyond that was a small bridge over the pond that later evolved into a river with water lilies surrounding the tiny land that had perched a golden chain tree and a bed of lilies. Yet something caught his eye, there under the golden chain tree was something glinting in the light.

The bird flew in front of him again, gesturing him follow. And follow, he did. He jogged on the stone pavement towards what seemed to be a large crystal orb surrounded by slithering vines. It was like the size of a boulder. It wasn't the rock that drew his attention, it was the crack on it. There was a mass of steam came out of the crystal orb, making it a bit hot to touch.

Steve looked at the bird questioningly as it titled its head to the orb.

When the steam subsided, he looked inside the orb to see a kind of slime substance that coated the wall of the crystals as well as vines in the walls. Overall, it reminded him of an egg both inside and outside. And he found himself wondering what it could be. There was a rustle behind him, but when he turned around, shield at hand, there was no one. Going back to the orb, he began to think. The orb was obviously not cracked out before. It suggests that something came out of it. There was nothing else that could have gone out except if it was…wait…

Inside the orb, there was something inside. Steve reached in and pulled out what seemed to be a fabric of sorts coated in one of the slimiest things he had ever touched. He looked at it, seeing it was a red woman's coat. Then he realized.

Steve said over the comms, "We have a third enhanced. Female."

* * *

Wanda was in a vast chasm beneath the fortress that housed all of HYDRA's stolen alien artifacts. She could see Stark approach the sceptre and speak with one of the other Avengers. As her tormentor went even closer to the sceptre, she raised her hands and showed him his darkest fear. Wanda would get to torment her tormentor before his life would crumble into ashes upon her feet.

She could see the tension in his body as he experienced the vision and was about to send a whirlpool of energy through him when she saw his subconscious. A thought came into her head. She put her hands down and smirked. The man would be his own demise.

Wanda quickly backed away until she was out of Stark's way, creeping in the shadows. By now, her brother had speeded to her and was about to engage the man that killed their parents when she put her hand on his chest. Her twin brother looked at her, before glancing back to Stark, who was about to take the sceptre.

"We're just going to let him take it?" Pietro asked angrily.

She smiled at her brother. He didn't see what she saw. "Yes." A little smirk crept up her face. "Don't worry, our fight is far from over—it just got a little better."

They walked away from the scene, Pietro carried her back to the greenhouse where they would get Aerith out. They used a secret passage that Wang showed them once to get in. They couldn't wait to share their freedom with Aerith—their revenge so close and their freedom at their hands. Wanda smiled to herself to see Tony Stark finally crumble to his knees. They wanted their revenge. And they were so close, they could almost taste it. Life couldn't get any better, but unfortunately…it could get worst.

They were greeted by the sight of the orb opened and cracked, steam coming out from it. Pietro ran towards it, shock and anger obvious in his face. Wanda watched as he took out Aerith's red wine coat that was left on the floor in front of the orb.

"The Avengers took her." Pietro growled, before he could run back outside to get her, Wanda stopped him.

"We can't."

"What do you we can't?" Pietro asked angrily.

"If the Avengers took her, we can't risk being captured as well." Wanda said as calmly as possibly.

"Then, we risk it!"

Pietro shrugged her hand off hand, purposely getting ready to run out when there was a moan from the trees around them, making them jump in surprise. And no later than a second, the golden chain tree moved. Its roots moving out from the earth. Both were confused yet worried. Only Aerith can do what the tree had just done. So, they did what anyone would do, they stepped closer. Warily, they looked at what the roots had kept hiding. And beneath a blanket of golden leaves, Aerith was shivering and covered with slime. Pietro did not waste time in hauling her up, and letting her lay down the green tall grass. Wanda went away getting a warm blanket to cover the redhead.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. "Are we free?"

Those were the first words she said, her voice—raspy and hoarse. Those words brought a smile in both their faces.

"Yes, we are free." Wanda said confidently.

* * *

 _A/N: Now that concludes the chapter. Don't forget to review! :)_


	15. The Flight to New Beginnings

_A/N: God! It's been so long since I last updated. And it's already 2017! I'm really sorry for the late update. There were problems that occurred that I needed to take care of first. Thankfully, I had time to write up this. Here, I present you Chapter 15 of When Winter Fell._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

* * *

Elias stared at his watch, watching the arms move every second of every minute. He sat uncomfortably on his seat in the quinjet. His shoulders tense, but his breathing calm. He couldn't believe that he was sitting within a jet filled with a Norse God, a super soldier, an assassin, an archer, a billionaire playboy philanthropist, and a scientist that goes green (and not green in a good way). And the fact that Elias was a HYDRA agent didn't sit well with some of the inhabitants of the plane. Yet he didn't grow to care about it. In actuality of his perspective, he almost laughed.

Here he was, a HYDRA agent sitting inside a jet with the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And he's still alive. It must be someone sick joke. However, what amusement he found in the situation was soon washed away by the glances he caught given to him by Black Widow. (Elias did have to admit; she was scarier in person than she was on file.)

They didn't want him here, but he has to be.

He glanced up from his watch, seeing Wang asleep on some kind of slab next to the archer. The scientist seemed to be fine even after his spasm and panic attack. Hopefully, nothing bad would become of it. The image of the scolding he would get if he ever left the scientist was something he mused about. While others avoid a scolding, it was always amusing to watch _mi rosa de invierno_ turn pink with rage.

Elias kept the image of her in his head, making his lip twitch upwards. He sat in silence, tuning out the sounds around him. The Avengers were conversing with each other; there was no need to interfere.

"Am I the only one wondering why there's a HYDRA agent in this jet?" the voice of Tony Stark broke his trance.

"Ex-agent. I, technically, deserted HYDRA and branded myself a traitor." Elias pointed out.

Stark gave him a look that makes his thoughts clear as he doubts Elias' claim. And as though the Captain had sensed the tension within the man, he spoke on Elias' behalf, "He saved Wang and helped him escaped." He gave Stark a stern look.

The billionaire turned around to face the Captain and scoffed, "Yeah, but it doesn't mean we were going to let him tag along with us."

"He could be helpful to us."

"Helpful to us how?" Stark said, his doubt pouring through his words like a maelstrom in a midsummer's eve.

"I can give you information." Elias said, standing up, making them all stare at him.

"What information is there left to give?" Stark said. "JARVIS has stored all the data from the base. We don't need you anymore."

"Some of the data would have been deleted by Strucker or List." He said. "Other than that, some of it would probably be wrong especially about the Enhanced trials that may be a lie."

This made them stare at him, interested. Doctor Banner was the first to recover.

"W-Why would it be a lie?" he asked, looking at Elias curiously.

Elias took in a deep breath. Was it wise to reveal this information? He may not have known Doctor Wang long, but he did not have the permission nor the right to tell them so. And besides that, he did not know what other things Wang has done in the research. Thinking about in the silence of the room, he began to speak.

"Because Wang worked closely in those trials—very closely…" he said. "Close to the point he had lied in some of his reports."

"Why?" It was the redhead assassin's turn to ask, scanning his movements.

The soldier sighed. "Let's say…Wang developed a close relationship amongst them. I, myself, confess I did too…to at least one of them."

He allowed himself a small smile of fondness. There was a brief silence in the room which was promptly broken by another scoff from the Iron Man.

"Why should we trust any information you give us?" he said as he fiddling with some scree. There was blip and he gave out a satisfied 'aha'. "Elias Antonio Bonifacio. Born on 1979 in Mexico, but moved to America when he was fourteen. His father died on the night there was a break in their house on 1988—"

"Stark, stop it!" Rogers exclaimed, sighing in exasperation.

"—ooh! This is interesting." Stark announced, pressing and enhancing boxes of information placed on the screen. "He used to be part of the US Army and was one of the officers subjected to experimentation under…"

There was a headache that came with his words, making him flinch in pain. He didn't want to remember those experiments. There were flashes of metal and water that surrounded his body. There was a burning pain on his side. He could almost feel the blades piercing his skin, slicing his flesh. Elias didn't hear what other things Stark had to say. Elias focused more on breathing. His hands shook, but clenched them shut to stop. He breathed in deeply, measured and gentle steps like what she told her too.

 _Think of sweeter things_ , she would say.

He breathed in and out and imagined his childhood home where he could see his Mama and Papa, and the farm where he used to live. While some people see weakness in the thought of their parents, he found strength…even if that strength left him in painful ends. His heartbeat calmed and his vision cleared.

Stark's voice waded back into his head. "…Mind telling us what experiment was that?" the billionaire asked.

He breathed in and out heavily, trying to gain control of his wild heartbeat. "…It's…none…of…your…business…Stark…" he managed to say in between breaths.

Elias hated that it came out tired and shaky. Well…what else do you expect from an unwelcome blast from the past? He looked up to see all the Avengers looking at him with all levels of wariness and…pity (from some). Elias just had one of the moments of his life declared in front of a room full of strangers—a moment that haunted him all the rest of his days. The ex-HYDRA agent looked towards the Captain to see him disapprove of Stark's action. There was also the trace of understanding for his part which also came from Doctor Banner and a bit from Black Widow. Aside from those three Avengers, none of them knew what it felt to be poked and prodded. The Captain didn't quite catch the more traumatizing aspect of it while Doctor Banner and Black Widow knew.

Sure, he wasn't trained to be an elite assassin or turned into a big raging monster, but he heard stories about what went through the Red Room and stories about Doctor Banner's work.

Perhaps, they would never really understand, but, at least, to a degree, they knew.

He glanced at the billionaire and noted the dark expression he has on his face. "It is my business," Stark said. "when you're waltzing in here pretending to be a friend when you're not."

"Who said I was pretending?" Elias challenged.

The two glared at each other, unwilling to be the first one to break. Fortunately for Elias, he had a track record for being not only being charming but also because he was unyielding and quite terrifying if need be. And so, Stark was the first to break. It gave a small feeling of relief and satisfaction, but none of those emotions showed on his face.

Instead of leaving Elias alone as he expected, Stark returned to his screen and continued on reading.

"After the experiment, you were given dishonorable discharge when you were found choking your senior officer. Afterwards, you settled in Los Angeles where you—Oh this is wonderful!" he said the last part sarcastically. "We have an infamous mercenary here!"

It was then that Elias had the right to feel guilty. His life as a merc was not something he was proud about…but he has good pay. Mama would not be proud of him especially with all the things he had done for money. Yet his job was his job. And it wasn't his fault that he was so good at it.

"That's rich coming from the Merchant of Death." Elias sneered.

"At least, I didn't kill people for the sake of money." Stark retorted

"At least, I didn't manufacture the weapons that killed innocent lives." He egged the egomaniac on.

"I don't know what rock you've been living under, but I stop making those weapons years ago."

Before any of them could say anything else, Captain America decided it would be best to intervene before anything else happens.

"That's enough." He said firmly, making Stark shut up for once.

And that's when the God of Thunder decided to speak up,

"Take care we should not fight after such a battle we have conquered. Man of Iron, I see your reason to doubt the strange warrior, but had he not earned our trust by bringing us David of Wang? Was it not our mission to retrieve the physician from his prison?"

He spoke words of reason to his fellow members. It was then that Elias started to owe both the Captain and Thor.

Stark grumbled. "That might be, but it doesn't mean that he is trustworthy."

The billionaire was adamant to his position which made Elias sigh. After all, who could blame the man?

Elias exhaled and said, "I know that all of you are suspicious of me. I know you all doubt my words of trust, but believe me when I say, I'm not like them. Believe me when I say, not all of us in HYDRA have a choice in joining their cause. Not all of us believe in their ideals. Not all of us are like List or Strucker. Not all of us want to idly sit by and watch innocent people die."

There was silence in the room after his speech. It was the complete utter truth when he says that not all of them are the same.

"…Tell us what you know."

* * *

Elias wasn't even halfway through his explanation on the nature of the experimentation when they reached the famed Avengers tower. Stark, with all his narcissistic ego and money, was a pretty good pilot, but not as good as himself if the former HYDRA agent had a say so. The few seconds were a blur to Elias as he stood there idly. The archer and Wang had already been sent out the quinjet and the scepter has been sent out as well. He just stood there awkwardly. It wasn't until the Captain and some unknown woman came that he had been alerted of his surroundings again.

"Bonifacio with me." The Captain called out, walking out of the quinjet with the woman.

Elias quietly followed the two, trailing behind them. The eyes of the brunette woman landed on him briefly, analyzing him. Because of this, Elias had his guard up. Those were the eyes he received many times before, ones that he still receiving.

"What's the word on Strucker?" the Captain asked, noticing the small distrustful look she gave Elias.

"NATO's got him." She replied, looking away from him.

"And the three enhanced?"

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, twins," The woman said, handing the Captain a tablet, showing their faces with red boxes around them. Captain swiped the screen of the tablet with his finger and a video played of them participating in a riot. "Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed in their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everywhere special."

"Their abilities?"

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation."

The Captain looked at her funny.

"He's fast and he's weird." The woman rephrased her sentence to a more understandable degree which Elias found amusing.

"And the third?"

"Aerith Jude." The woman swiped the screen again and showed the picture of a much younger version of the girl he knows. "Born in Heidelberg, Germany to Professor Arcturus Jude, a professor at Heidelberg University, and German poet, Luciana Fischer. When she was seven moved to England, six years after that, she disappeared. Not a trace of her until now." She informed him.

"Are you saying that HYDRA might have kidnapped her as a kid?" Captain asked, thoroughly concerned.

"We're not sure." The woman said, there was annoyance in her tone. "We are sure that unlike the twins, they forced her into experimentation."

The blonde Avengers turned towards Elias. "Can you affirm that?"

Elias merely nodded.

"Now, her powers…" the woman began before Elias decided to intervene, so he said, "She's a naturakinetic."

The woman and the Captain stopped to look at Elias. The woman gave him an appraising look whereas the Captain looked at him funny too.

"It means that she has control over nature, but she can also communicate with the earth's environment. She mostly borders on the elemental manipulation of it as well as animal empathy, poison manipulation, and healing." Elias finished, hoping it was enough for them to understand.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him.

"Captain, who is he?"

"This is Elias Bonifacio." The Captain said, clapping a hand on the agent's shoulder. "He's…uh…"

"It's complicated." Elias finished for Captain Rogers.

The details of his current status were still questionable at best. He may have betrayed HYDRA, but exactly is he now? The woman merely raised a brow before continuing with the discussion with the Captain with Elias trailing from behind.

"Well, they're going to show up again." The Captain said, stopping at an elevator.

"Agreed." The woman said. "File says the twins volunteered for Strucker's experiments. And who knows what brainwashing was forced on the third one. It's nuts."

"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"

Elias' lips twitched at the Captain's words. The soldier just merely stayed quiet and entered the lift.

"We're not at war, Captain." The woman said.

"But they are." The Captain said.

And how true he was at that.

* * *

His throat burned as he coughed wildly. Wang had been awake for a few minutes now and it was enough for him to register one thing: water. He needed water.

Once he saw the pitcher of water just across the room, he had no second thoughts on running towards and chugging it all dry…If that was the plan, it didn't happen.

Pain shot through his body covering his legs like fire ants biting his skin. He stayed still, holding his legs as if it would relieve the pain. Deep breaths he drew until the pain subsided. Heaving a sigh, he slumped back down the bed. His back propped against the headboard and his pillow. Where the hell was he? He looked around the room to see it to be luxurious and grand. It was a far stretch from his old bedroom back at the HYDRA base in Sokovia. The grey walls were replaced by beige-cream colours and glass; cemented floor was now covered with burgundy red carpet.

The events of what he remembered could hardly answer his question to how he was trapped in this, albeit, comfortable bed. So…he had a massive pain around his legs and promptly fainted in front of Elias and Natasha. Great…Just great…

Wang groaned in embarrassment. He closed his eyes and sighed. While he was stuck at this bed at least his mission was accomplished…or was it?

Did his friends get out? Where they captured again? How is Aerith coping with the side effects of the Sleeper Mode? Did Wanda drained herself from using too much of her powers? Did Pietro accidentally trip on a root and fall? (Okay, that last part, he would have paid to see it.) Did they get the emergency supplies and extra clothing he packed for them?

Jesus, he sounded so _motherly._ It made his skin crawl. Despite that, the worry he has for them remained. Whatever they are doing, wherever they are, he just hopes they're safe.

There was a knock and Wang opened his eyes to see the famous Tony Stark enter the room. You didn't know how much relief he felt to see a familiar face.

"How are you, champ?" he greeted, sauntering towards him.

"Better than you were first time we met." Wang quipped.

"In my defense," the genius billionaire said. "I was experiencing palladium poisoning."

Despite the pain on his legs, Wang sat up properly, leaning on the headboard.

"You know, Doctor Cho said to take it easy."

"Like I ever listen." Wang scoffed.

"Don't let Cap hear that."

Wang laughed, feeling lighter than before. He missed this. Dear lord above knows he does. It was moments like this that were the highlight of his day. There were times back at the Sokovia he felt this way with Wanda, Pietro, and Aerith. Despite gaining his old friends back, he lost some in return. Hopefully, they would forgive him for leaving, but that wasn't the subject right now.

While Wang was long in his elusive dream state of thought, Tony watched him curiously. Wang was an expressive person, making him easy to read for time to time. He was also a thinking person, a person that would time to time blank out of thought. Although, there were times that concerns Tony where they would talk and suddenly he would blank out like he was taken out of his body for a moment. Like a computers, he buffers, unmoving and just...blank.

It makes him wonder what goes on in the mind of the scientist. There were instances, like this one, were an emotion cracks through. And that emotion was...sadness.

To see that in his youthful face was heart-clenching beyond compare. It was as if he lived a thousand lives and at the brink of the world's end he would fade away. Tony didn't like it when it happens. At least...not to Wang.

"Tony?" Wang called him out.

"Yeah."

"What do you do when you have friends that are probably mad at you for some particular reason because technically you did betray their trust—"

"Do you have friends in HYDRA?" Tony interrupted.

Wang laughed at the statement. "You mean the other scientists?" he said almost incredulously.

Tony looked confused.

Wang laughed again. "Oh hell no! I ain't got friends with those retards. You should have seen them in enhanced trials. They were as much as assholes as they were idiots. They couldn't recognize right thermal colligation to infuse a greenhouse." He continued laughing to the point that even Tony laughed with him. Laughter filled the air without so much of grace that they didn't even notice the door open.

Natasha Romanoff watched the two laugh uncontrollably. The redheaded assassin merely raised her brow. A moment only passed until Wang noticed her watching.

Tony coughed and checked his Stark phone immediately, intending to look busy.

"Sorry, champ, but I got to go." He said.

"What? Why?" Wang asked, confused.

"Duty calls." Tony began to walk away, but stopped before he did, turning around. "And about those friends of yours, if they truly are your friends, they'll forgive you." With that he walked out of the room.

"Do you mind telling what that was about? Or do I have to guess?" Natasha said, occupying the empty seat next to Wang's bed.

"My, my, I'm actually interested on what you might think it was." He said with a smirk. "So guess ahead."

"It's the Enhanced patients, isn't it?" she said immediately, taking Wang by surprise.

Wang looked away from her, a distant look in his eye. "Yes." He whispered.

* * *

 _A/N: Don't forget to review! It would be much appreciated._


	16. Sick

_A/N: Okay, I'm back with the new chapter of WWF. I'm sorry if it took too long. My final exams are tomorrow and I'm really anxious about it. I just couldn't find the time to write with all my studying._

 _So in this chapter we'd get an insight on how things are at the the Maximoff Twins and Aerith's side. This would just be a short chapter, probably one of my shortest ones. I hope this doesn't disappoint you guys!_

 _I would also like to thank you guys for continuing to read and enjoy this story._ _And a special thank you to The Solar Surfer for those helpful reviews especially on your opinions on the story._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I do own my OCs._

* * *

It had been days since their escape from the HYDRA base. And now, they stand in the refuge of an abandoned cinema in Novi Grad. As the days grew longer, they realized they couldn't stay in Sokovia lest HYDRA find them. It saddened the twins at the notion of leaving their beloved home, but they must…although, that plan must be delayed.

Aerith felt awful.

Her body trembled and ached. It also felt numb and tired. She had been like this since they escaped. She'd often stay in the makeshift cot Wanda made for her from stolen blankets retrieved by Pietro. They cared for her. Wanda would regal her of stories from a time gone by and stories she heard from her mother that gladden both women. And Pietro would present her with small treasures hidden like gems in the city—all of which she treasured with all her heart.

To say that her illness was bad would be a lie. Aerith was as pale as a ghost, clinging onto the brink of death. There were dark circles around her eyes, making them look hollow and void of life. Sweat clung to her being; her usually bright fiery locks were smothered. All in all, she looked like a hollow shell of who she once had been.

This is was the after-effects of the Sleeper Mode and the addition of the overuse of her powers without rest.

This was something none of the twins knew what to do. What they did was what made sense to them. They cheered her up, made her rest, fed her, tended her fever, and all the things that they could possibly find a solution to do. The only course of action they had taken now is to wait for her to heal naturally without her powers assistance…Although, it didn't stop flowers from popping out of nowhere around her.

It wasn't just the sickness they were worried about. The nightmares were getting worst. They'd wake up at night with Aerith screaming or shouting nonsense in a language it did not know. It sounded like it was German.

She would utter names in her sleep.

 _Sirius. Lila. Rudolph. Sol. Levi. Fen. Lila._

Their names would be repeated over and over again as if when she stops she'll forget about them.

The twins both knew she was dreaming about her past again. And it tortured to see how much it hurt for her to remember. Don't get them wrong. They want for her to know her past as much as she does, but the way it was happening was…unbearable. There were even times Wanda could see Aerith's dreams. She could see the joy and laughter, such a simple life, full of light. She saw the church that Aerith would tell her about with its bed of lilies. She even saw glimpses of her friends, who were definitely different. But…Wanda also saw the pain and the grief…the fire and destruction. The familiar faces she had come to know inside Aerith's head were lifeless and unmoving.

The wall in her mind was slowly breaking the more she remembers. And Wanda promised she would never enter Aerith's mind unless with consent.

Approximately three days since Aerith had been confined to her cot, they knew the emergency supply Wang kept for them would not last.

And so, they devised a plan to make sure it did.

Hence was part of the reason why Pietro had run into some trouble.

He ran through the streets, making sure not to run as inhumanly as possible. They were trying to keep a low profile, so they couldn't attract attention to their little triad. Yet seemed Pietro had failed in that little prospect.

" _Come back here, you thief!"_ a shopkeeper shouted at Pietro in Sokovian.

The silver-haired enhanced skidded through the crowd, making sure his cowl was still in place. Yes, he had a cowl on, his hair does attract attention. He bumped into passers-by ignoring their indignant shouts of anger.

Pietro skidded towards an empty alley before speeding away in silver blur, escaping the chase.

You may ask, what happened?

The answer was simple.

Pietro stole bread for his family.

* * *

Living in the streets for as long she could remember, Wanda knew they had be cunning and smart on how their play would proceed. The brunette casually strode to the fruit stand, admiring the apples, oranges, and the myriad of fruits on the stand. She set down her basket on the floor and with one hand picked up different fruits admiring them. All of which she done while her other hand did the work. Swiftly and discreetly, Wanda levitated fruits into the basket without looking suspicious.

The people around her were oblivious to it as well as shopkeeper who attended to a rather old lady.

It went well with the basket filled with fruits. Once her job was done, she snapped the basket's lid closed with the snap of her fingers. She lifted up her basket and strode away, acting as if to look for another fruit store.

Wanda walked down the familiar road towards the cinema. In the blissful silence, she began to ponder on the life they would have beyond Sokovia. They all agreed that once Aerith was well enough to travel that they would go. And one part of Wanda was scared to leave.

Sokovia has always been, first and foremost, her home.

To leave it all behind was a dreadful thought that struck her, but she knew in her heart that to stay would be the death of them all. The remaining soldiers of HYDRA were still after them, and all of them knew it was not safe to remain.

Wanda sighed. She wished this wouldn't be so. Yet it was.

She stood in front of the entrance of their refuge, looking at the foreboding building. Maybe once in its life, it had been a beauty, but it now crumbled into ruins of its old self. Wanda entered through the creaking doors, heading towards the steps to the office where Aerith was currently sleeping in.

It was almost eight o'clock when Pietro came back. Wanda had already fed Aerith and now she continued to rest. Pietro pulled down the cowl, revealing is usual grinning face as he presented his bag full of bread and cheese. Wanda merely rolled her eyes and silently bit into her apple that she stolen earlier.

Her older twin shrugged and sat down to the seat opposite of hers.

"What's gotten you to a rotten mood?" he said jokingly, making light of the atmosphere.

Wanda sighed, unnerving her brother as she continued to be silent. Pietro's brow furrowed in thought of what could trouble her so. When she finally did speak up, it was raised barely up a whisper.

"Can we do this?"

"Do what?"

"Leave Sokovia." She said, staring at the flames. "How can we leave our home? All we ever known was here. Once we escape, who do we turn to? We know no one outside of this country. And how will we get by? We don't have any money."

Pietro's face dawned in realization for his sister's concerns. Reaching out, he grabbed his sister's hand. He knelt in front of her and squeezed her hands gently in reassurance. He looked up at her, his blue eyes shimmering.

"We will survive." He said, smiling at her. His eyes shined with hope that Wanda could not help but let tears slide down her cheek.

"We will get by like we always have." He said, "It pains me to leave Sokovia. I-I'm actually scared, but remember what Papa told us…"

Wanda smiled as she remembered their parents—the joyful smiles and familiar bliss in their lives. Their family was not perfect nor was their living conditions, but they were happy.

 _Stand strong and firm; plant your feet upon the ground…If you don't, there is no wonder where you'll be swept off to._

"Yes, I remember."

"Then…we must not get our fear take hold on us." He said. "Let us explore the world outside the country's gates. And maybe…" –he looked at Aerith's sleeping form— "…we'll all find happiness in the end."

Wanda stared at her brow for a long while as he stared longingly at Aerith. This was not the first time she saw him look at her in that way. There were many instances throughout the short years they have known each other. He was look at her when he thinks she wasn't looking. He'd go off into his own world.

There were even times Pietro avoided looking at her because he knows that they will always fall back on her.

It didn't take telepathy for Wanda to know what her brother was thinking. And it didn't take much to know how he feels.

"You like her, don't you?" she said, looking at her brother earnestly.

Pietro sighed, smiling fondly. "More than you know."

* * *

The morning arrived and Pietro awoke with a gasp. His nightmares haunted him lately, leaving him restless and much fear. His dreams of them being found by HYDRA and taken back to experimentation; about Aerith and how she could not survive the illness that had descended upon her.

He looked around to see the girls still asleep. Aerith was in her usual cot. Wanda with her head on her arms as she slept face down. The twins were both flanking Aerith's side, making sure she was warm enough and to be near enough if she needs help. Pietro lay down again, turning to side to look at Aerith's face.

Too long had he not heard her voice, too long had this sickness struck her; he only wished for her is peace. Her watched as a lock of her hair fell seamlessly on her face. And slowly, he lifted up his hand and brushed the hair away gently. His fingertips across her cheek; coarse against her soft skin. The light seeped through the open window of the room, giving light to Aerith's skin, making it glow a silver tinge. She was always so beautiful to him.

Pietro had to admit that she didn't have the most conventional beauty, and that's what he liked around about her. Her features reminded him of that a warrior—a warrior with a heart of gold. And to disagree that her looks did not fit her personality would be wrong. Soft and gentle she could be, but she was also strong-willed and fierce when need be.

His hand stroked her cheek lovingly, but that's when he noticed that something was very wrong.

She wasn't breathing.

Pietro shot up. "AERITH!" he shouted, turning Aerith on her back. Wanda immediately woke up, blinking wildly. Her hands flared scarlet. Then she saw Pietro crouching besides Aerith, the light in her hands fading.

"Pietro, what's wrong?"

"It's Aerith." he said urgently. "She stopped breathing."

Colour drained from Wanda's face. No, no, no, no. This can't be happening. It…It just can't. One of her worst fears had been shown and she was helpless on how on fight it.

"What do we do?" she whispered, frightened.

Wanda was usually the level-headed one was spun into a spiral she could not escape. She just knelt there, staring, trying to come to terms with the situation before her. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't.

"We do CPR." Pietro said, snapping her out of her reverie.

"What?" Wanda snapped her head towards her brother.

"We do CPR." He repeated, shuffling closer to Aerith.

"Do you even know how to do it?"

"No but it just like what they do in movies. It looks easier enough."

"Because those are movies, idiot." Wanda exclaimed.

"Do you any other ideas?" Pietro yelled in frustration.

There was silence and he took it as go signal to go forwards with the plan. He placed the heel of one hand over the centre of Aerith's chest, and placed the other on top of the first hand. Using his upper body weight, he pushed straight down like how he seen it in movies three times before she gently pulled her lips part and did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

When Pietro imagined putting his mouth on hers, he never thought it would be this way.

He repeated the processes numerous of times. Minutes went by and they were getting desperate.

"Come on, come on, flower girl." He murmured pleadingly. "Don't do this to me now."

Wanda watched on the sidelines, her hands clasped together, praying to whatever being was there. Pietro stopped, checking if she was breathing. There was nothing. Pietro cried out in pain, continuing to pump on her chest erratically. Wanda wasn't faring well at all. Her powers were going out of control and she was having a hard time controlling it back.

This can't be happening. It just can't. They ever thought they would really lose their friend.

"Pietro!" Wanda cried out. "Stop it! Please, stop it."

Her brother didn't listen, only more determined to bring Aerith back to them…back to him.

"Stop it, Pietro." Wanda cried out again, holding on to Pietro's hands.

The twins wept. And life came upon again.

There was a gasp. Wanda and Pietro snapped up to see Aerith spluttering and coughing as if water filled up her lungs and now she's spitting it out. The twins moved closer to her. Pietro had her face between her hands, checking if she was really okay.

Aerith's eyes fluttered open. Those big blue eyes staring back at him.

"Hey there, big guy," She muttered, smiling up at him. "did you miss me?"

He laughed, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Hey there, flower girl. Promise me you'd never do that again."

"Promise."

* * *

The following days were better than those previous. Aerith recovered her strength and healthy state again. Pietro almost skipped when he walked inside the cinema. He felt happier than he had ever been to see Aerith alive and well. He stepped inside their threshold and stopped, his breath caught in his throat.

Aerith had her back turned against him. She was dressed in only a long and shimmering grey silk dress. The dress clung to her figure, making it seem like she was wrapped in liquid grey. Her long hair was loose, cascading down her back. She seemed to be deep in thought, staring out at the window of the office they occupied. Aerith played with her hair, twirling her lithe fingers around the waves of red.

In that moment, he could not help but stare. The sunlight made her skin glow, making her shine radiantly. He could not help but think he had stepped into a dream. It was the perfect picture he wished to store in time. Pietro sorely did not want to disrupt her peace, so turned to leave her alone.

"Pietro?"

Aerith's voice stopped him. He turned to see her look intently into him. Her blue eyes alight with an emotion he could explain.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

' _I came to see you'_ was the first thing that came to mind.

"I just came to tell you that Wanda went out to get more supplies." Pietro lied.

"When will she be back?" Aerith asked, concerned.

"Before dinner."

There was silence, and Pietro shuffled on his feet, feeling unease with Aerith's gaze intently on him. There was the shine of grey that caught his eye.

"What are you wearing?" he found himself asking.

"A dress, what else?" Aerith said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Where did you find it?"

"In the bag full of clothes."

"Why would Wang buy something like for you?" Pietro asked. "It's a bit medieval, no?"

"Wang has always been strange." Aerith said fondly. "But Wang did not buy this dress."

"How would you know?"

"Because this is the dress I wore when I was first captured by HYDRA."

This silenced Pietro. Aerith never liked talking about her capture by those barbarians. She never talked about the time before they met—before that crazy girl tried to kill her. Until now, he and Wanda had no clue just who that girl was and what happened. They only knew was that she was a friend of Aerith's before… _it_ happened.

"Why were you going to leave so soon?" Aerith changed the subject.

"You looked like you needed to be alone." Pietro said, looking down.

Pietro heard light steps coming towards him and the feeling of a gentle had under his chin. Aerith lifted up his head slightly to let him look at her.

"I had enough of being on my own."

Her hands were warm against his skin as she cupped his face. He couldn't help but lean into her touch—something about it so alluring. Pietro closed his eyes, savoring her touch. He felt his forehead connect with hers. Their faces only inches apart. They could both feel their breaths against their skin. They breathed in heavily. And Pietro slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Pietro…" she said softly.

Pietro barely registered it, his heart skipping a beat at the mention of his name. What was this woman doing to him?

"Pietro…I remember…"

It was barely a whisper, but Pietro hear it. He froze. Pietro opened his eyes to see the unshed tears about to fall. The sadness and the horror that appeared on her face was enough to sting his heart.

Her voice broke. "I-I remember…Oh God…I remember."

Aerith's knees felt weak, making her legs buckle and fall into Pietro's arms. Tears escaped from her eyes as Pietro held her tight. Her body shook and trembled.

"It's going to be alright, flower girl." He whispered to her softly. "It's going to be alright."

* * *

 _A/N: So the moment of truth! Aerith remembers! But exactly does she remember? Does she remember everything in her past? Find out in the next chapter of WWF._


	17. Trouble at a House Party

_A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! I'm sorry that it takes so long for me to update. I've been working on some new fics and also dealing with life in general. Thank for all of you who reviewed, followed, favorited this story. This chapter is going to be a bit short, but i swear that the next chapter will make up for it._

 _DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avengers: Age of Ultron, only my OC(s)._

* * *

This was stupid—incredibly stupid.

Wang was having a relatively fine day. He thought that everything was going to be okay especially when he was able to walk again, and then, there was a party. But nooooooo! Two of the most genius men of this century just had to think of the stupidest idea in the world. And you know when that stupid idea starts to back-fire on you?

When it tries to kill you.

"Oh shit." Wang cursed, crawling behind the bar. "Why does this happen to me?"

The commotion continued to rage outside his little hiding place. And he almost wished he was back in his small office in HYDRA. At least, there he had some silence.

You see this shit happened three hours ago…

* * *

Wang sat the corner of the bar, sipping casually on his drink. He wasn't one for parties since he wasn't invited to any. Though, he wasn't bothered by it. He guessed it was years of wondering why. And it was about time he realized that he just wasn't that type of guy. There was, at least, one moment in his life where he wanted to be popular—to be wanted by people—just like everyone else. After a harsh lesson by life, he finally understood that he wasn't meant to be one. In fact, Wang was relieved by it.

However, as far as anxiety can go, he was still an awkward wallflower.

Speaking of wallflowers, there was one other, who decided to keep away from others. He glanced to see Elias at the other end of the bar, casually nursing a drink. Unlike Wang, who tried to look cool and failed, Elias successfully succeeded with his leather jacket and laidback attitude. Honestly, Wang thought Elias would have done great in a party like this, flirting with girls and all that, but there was something on the soldier's mind—something weighing him down and disturbing him.

' _Probably thinking of his rosa di inferno—or whatever that is.'_ He thought almost exasperatingly.

Until now, Wang didn't know who the fuck he was talking about. It was obvious that it was a girl, and he was head over heels in love with her (or at least, it seems like love). It was almost all he talks about!

Rosa di inferno this! Rosa di inferno that!

If he had a dollar every time he mentions that thing, Wang would have been as rich as Tony. And Wang wasn't going to kid that it was worrying him. It almost sounds as if he's worshiping a god. Halting his thoughts, he began to ponder. Actually, it could be a religion. It's not like there can't be any new ones.

' _Maybe Elias joined a cult!'_ his mind suggested, sounding way too enthusiastic for his taste.

He shook his head, downing his glass. It couldn't be a religion or a cult. That's just way too weird. Wang concluded that it was indeed a girl. Maybe a girl back home in Mexico? Wang had conversed with Elias shortly in his stay in the Avengers Tower. And what he found out was the basics.

1) Where he was born. 2) Rough summary of how he grew up. 3) His life as a merc (short glimpse). 4) How he ended up in HYDRA. And lastly, 5) His favorite color (Which is red, apparently).

In all of this, he never mentioned any female except for his mom. Wang had to conclude that Rosa di inferno was someone he met in his life as a merc or during HYDRA…or it's his mom—that would mean extreme mommy issues right there. He grimaced at the thought. However, Wang was going to exclude that option because he's a good guy and didn't want to offend a talented killer.

If he had to choose which option was most likely, it was in Elias's life during HYDRA because Wang had searched the translation of the thing. Sure, it took him a few times, but he got it right and it was translated as _my winter rose_. So, all this time he had been saying 'my winter rose'. If that doesn't sound like Elias was besotted, then Wang didn't know shit.

However, Wang had absolutely no idea the story behind it. And he was damn well curious about it. Yet he was going to barge into his wallflower seclusion and demand who the fuck his winter rose was. That would be insensitive and completely rude.

Okay, Wang admits he is rude. That's a universal fact, but he wasn't going to go and invade his privacy. The matters of the heart weren't to be taken lightly. And he's not talking based on experience. (God knows he doesn't know anything about love nor does he think of it positively.) He's basing this on what he knows in literature and film. Romance movies and books, even if some of them are figment of someone's imagination, have a truth in them.

Wang remembered that conversation he had with Aerith that time they read Shakespeare.

* * *

 _Wang finished reading "Romeo and Juliet" to Aerith. They sat under the shade of the golden chain tree. She leaned on the bark of the tree with tears on her eyes. Wang gingerly closed the book._

" _I don't understand why you don't like this play." She commented, wiping the tearstains in her eyes._

 _Wang sighed. "It's not like I don't like it. It's just my least favorite. I mean, they fell in love at first sight that doesn't exist. A love born from that is nothing but purely physical. That's not true love." He explained._

" _How can you be so sure" she said, "that what love they had was nothing but an infatuation?"_

" _Because that doesn't how reality goes!"_

 _Aerith stared at him curiously._

" _What brought to such an insight?" she asked. "Why so negative?"_

 _Wang stared off into the distance._

" _What is love, Aerith?" he asked, glancing at her before staring ahead of him. "What is love but a kind of creature to be unbound? A malady. What does it bring any of us but confusion and pain?"_

 _Aerith didn't know what to say, only holding out her hand for him to take. He looked at it, his eyes softening as he cautiously held her hand. Her hands squeezed his reassuringly._

" _I may not understand what love is. I doubt anyone does…but I realize…to be free of pain…to be loved simply for who you are…Is that not the engine of all humans? To be normal..." Aerith said, "No matter the pain. No matter grief and insanity of it all. The thing about love is that you are always at its mercy."_

* * *

Until this day, Wang still remembered her words. It was strange how fancy he was in word choice during that conversation, but then…Wang was cursed with poetry at a very young age. It created extremely unrealistic expectations. However, going back to the topic, her words to ring true, but so did he.

Love was just a beautiful but dangerous thing.

Wang didn't know why, but he started marching up towards the soldier, slipping next to the stool beside him.

"Hey!" Wang said cheerily.

Elias nodded in greeting.

"So what has been in your mind?" Wang asked, trying to take the edge off. "Let me guess, your rosa di inferno?"

"It's ' _rosa de invierno'_ " Elias corrected.

"Yeah," Wang said casually, "who is that?"

Or at least, he was trying to be casual, but ended up being awkward.

Elias cast a glance at him as if debating whether to tell him. After many minutes, the soldier sighed and relented.

"I met her in Sokovia." He said.

Wang straightened up, putting his full attention on the soldier.

"She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen." Elias said, his eyes looking down at his nearly empty glass. "And she saved my life."

Wang nodded and said, "So, she's still in Sokovia?"

Elias nodded, gesturing for the bartender to refill his glass. When his drink was full, he drank it all in one gulp, making Wang grimace. The scientist looked down at his own drink. It wasn't alcohol at all, really. It was just a cherry soda. If you're wondering why he isn't drinking alcohol, here is the thing…

Wang was not a good drunk. (That's all you need to know.)

The silence was awkward, weighing the scientist down until he ran out of something to drink.

"What's her name?" he found himself asking.

The soldier stiffened and cleared his throat.

"That's none of your business." He said with certain aloofness.

Wang raised his hands as a sign of peace, not wanting to get on his bad side.

"Okay, I get it." He said, trying to go with another topic.

They stumbled in and out of subjects in their talk. Well—Wang was doing the most talking. Elias was mostly listening, or at least, Wang thought so.

* * *

Rolling his eyes, Wang sipped from his glass; the taste of cranberry was sweet on his tongue. The guests were gone and only the Avengers, Dr. Helen Cho, Maria, Elias, and Wang was left. They were all gathered around on the couches, drinking and talking. And honestly, his mood brightened seeing Elias actually comfortable interacting with the Avengers for once. Of course, there was still some that were wary, but they put that aside to give the HYDRA agent a chance (mainly Steve, Thor, Bruce, and Natasha).

"But it's a trick!" Clint argued drunkenly.

"Oh, no. It's much more than that." Thor stated.

"Uh, ' _Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!'_ " he said jokingly, "Whatever man! It's a trick."

"Well please, be my guest." Thor gestured to his hammer.

Hence, the start of a montage of the Avengers trying to lift the hammer. Wang chuckled and rolled his eyes at their effort. However, when it was Cap's turn the impossible happened, the hammer moved. Wang coughed, trying to hide his shock. Looking around, he saw that no one but he, Thor, and Elias saw it. And they were just as shocked. Although, Cap couldn't pull up the hammer at the end.

Natasha, Elias, and he were smart enough to know it would be futile. And obvious enough, the hammer was some serious voodoo on it that it was just scientifically impossible to explain.

Thor stood up and said, "Yes, well, that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one."

He lifted his hammer and flipped it, catching it again.

"You're all not worthy." He concluded.

Suddenly, a high-pitched, shrieking noise echoed through the room, making everyone flinch and instantly cover their ears. Wang was particularly affected with the noise reminding him of his fear of LOTR wraiths. He knew they were fiction, but in the world of superheroes, anything was possible and that fueled his fear.

Wang cursed until the sound ended.

"How could any of you be worthy?" a monotone, robotic voice sounded through the room.

Wang looked to see a battered Iron Legion limping towards us like some zombie from The Walking Dead.

"You're all killers." It said. "I'm sorry. I was asleep. Or was it a dream. There was a terrible noise and I was tangled in…strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

 _Oh shit._

"You k-killed someone?" Wang was the one to ask, trying to swallow his fear.

"Wouldn't have been my first call…but down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."

 _What the actual fuck._

"Who sent you?" Thor asked.

A familiar voice that belonged to Tony roamed the area.

' _I see a suit of armor around the world.'_

"Ultron." Bruce said, making Wang turn around and look at him.

Seeing the realization and shock on Bruce's face connected the dots in Wang's brain.

"Oh shit." He muttered, looking at Ultron in horror.

"In the flesh." It said, "Or no. Not yet, but I'm ready. You see I'm on a mission."

"This is what you two nutjobs were talking about."

And there starts the fucked up night of his life.

* * *

 _Don't forget to review :)_


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